A Simple Monitoring

Greeting

Greeting
Welcome to Attraction Land!!
Oh, yes, yes. I know, I know. I have to give that intro, so don't look so
unamused. I'm sure you all know this already, but you were brought to this
world famous amusement park as employees rather than guests. In this
employment ice age...actually, how many years has it been since they
called it that? Well, congratulations regardless.
Unfortunately, you are not proper employees, but we can promise you
much better pay than a normal corporation.
What we will be having you do is a simple monitoring.
We come up with new attractions daily, but they always have plenty of
holes in the prototype phase. And there is a risk of an expert too familiar
with the project overlooking something. If a child plays with park
playground equipment in a way adults never thought of, it can lead to a
horrible accident, right?
In the same way, we require the help of people like you who have no
preconceived notions.
Now then, I will be supplying you with documents describing the
attractions and some image videos. Yes, not even a prototype has been
made at this point. Once we get through this stage, the construction of one
can begin.
When that happens, we may call you back here. But for now, just watch the
videos.
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Greeting

Please find any problem areas in the details of these attractions.

Tell us what must be done to ramp up the difficult level and make them
even more cruel, thrilling, and impossible to clear.
Let's see then.
We would like for you to fill out at least three points of improvement per
attraction. Three. If you find more than that and put them down, you will
receive a bonus for the number of additional points.
You come up with points to complain about or be dissatisfied with when
you watch a movie, right? Just think about this as being paid to write them
down. It's a really simple job, don't you think?
Do not leave anything blank or unanswered.
It does not matter how small a thing it is. Just fill out at least three defects
or loopholes in the rules.
Now then.
Let the monitoring begin.

A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 01

Attraction 01: Deadly Bullet Game

Wristwatch (40p), fish tank (15p), vase (5p), metal sheet (1500p), screw
(3p), flowerpot (30p), plywood (15p), copy paper (1p), saw (30p), rubber
hose (5p), flathead screwdriver (10p), nail (1p), ballpoint pen (2p), curtain
(15p), adhesive (5p), paint (15p), chewing gum (2p), leather belt (10p), hat
(15p), chopsticks (3p), ring (100p), stuffed rabbit doll (5p), electric shaver
(30p), cell phone (40p), insect repellant (10p), contact lens (5p), cup ramen
(10p), oxygen tank (100p), disposable tissues (3p), compass (5p),
styrofoam (20p), rope (10p), nail clippers (5p), light bulb (5p), file folder
(3p), stroller (15p), hot towel (5p), backpack (20p), rubber band (1p),
spoon (10p), plastic plate (5p), USB memory card (30p), beer can (5p),
plastic bag (1p), duct tape (10p), electric lead (15p), plastic drink bottle
(5p), scissors (10p), wine glass (10p), postcard (1p), fork (5p), cold
medicine (5p), laptop computer (50p).

Those items were scattered throughout a windowless room about the size
of a school classroom. The other participants had likely been lead to
similar rooms.
In the center of the room was something similar to the boards placed at the
entrance of a restaurant with the restaurants name written on it. However,
this board contained the manual for the attraction.

Deadly Bullet Game.

Your time limit is 30 minutes.
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Once that time has passed, you will be shot from a distance of 15 meters.
Please create some bulletproof equipment before the shooting event begins.
However, you may not currently use the items prepared on the stage.
The current situation is similar to being handed a can of food without a can
opener. However, do not forget that you can sell an unopened can even
without a can opener.
All of the items on the stage have a set price.
You may sell any unneeded items to earn funds with which you may
purchase the items you need.
Any item you sell or have used once can never again be used in this
attraction.
Any survivors after the attraction has ended will be paid 200 million yen.

Damn you people I muttered without thinking, but I could hardly back
out now.
I needed the money. I had to do whatever it took.
A woman dressed as a bunny girl spoke with a smile from a corner of the
room.
Will you give up then?
You know I cant do that. Begin! Begin the attraction!!

A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 01

Then the 30 minutes begin. Good luck, announced the bunny girl while
showing off an analog pocket watch that intentionally made a loud ticking
noise.
Now then
I would be shot from a distance of 15 meters. As a Japanese man protected
by the Swords and Firearms Control Law, I did not know exactly how
powerful that would be, but it still sent a chill down my spine.
There were all sorts of items scattered throughout the room, but I could not
help but think of one of them first.
The metal sheet (1500p).
It was 2 meters tall, 1 meter across, and about 3 cm thick. It was likely
meant to be used for construction scaffolding. It alone was probably
enough to deflect a handgun bullet.
But
I wouldnt have enough even if I sold every other item.
When I calmly added up the points, it was obvious I could not reach 1500p.
If I hadnt stopped to think and simply started selling things to buy the
metal plate, it would have all been over.
But on the other hand, the plywood (15p) and fish tank (15p) would not
stop a bullet.
A bullet.
I was up against a bullet.
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Attraction 01

To survive having it shot straight at me, I needed some kind of metal.

I could not reach the metal plate (1500p), but the nail clippers (5p), file
folder (3p), and some other items used metal parts. I needed to gather those
items until I had the same protection as the metal plate.
If you ask me, you should divide the items between the usable ones and
the unusable ones.
Shut up. I didnt ask you.
For example, theres the ring (100p) and wristwatch (40p). Those are
useless but have a high value. I say you should go ahead and sell that sort
of item.
I told you to shut up.
If I sold the metal plate (1500p), I could buy every single other item. And
both the ring (100p) and wristwatch (40p) used metal. It was dangerous to
quickly sell something just because it gave a lot of points. Since she wasnt
explaining that, I could assume the bunny girl wanted me dead.
What I need to start with are the duct tape (10p) and flathead screwdriver
(10p).
Ehh? Can you really stop a bullet with a roll of tape? And a screwdriver?
Wouldnt it be even harder to deflect a bullet with the tip of that tool then
how they do it with a Japanese sword in ridiculous action movies?
That wasnt my plan.
The flathead screwdriver (10p) was to remove the metal from the other
items and the duct tape (10p) was to bind it all together.
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Attraction 01

That meant I had to decide what items to take the metal from.
I really dont understand this at all, said the bunny girl in a sweet voice
that sounded like background noise while she wiggled her hips around.
This is only for 200 million yen. 200 million. While that is a lot of money,
its still small enough that a normal salaryman could earn it if he worked
hard enough. And yet more than 20 people are risking their lives in this
attraction for that much. What is going on?
Im sure we all have our reasons for needing the money.
True, but didnt you win 5 billion yen in the lottery? Why do you want
even more money? Life sure is full of mysteries.

People often said that you didnt need to worry as long as you had money,
but that was a lie.
No one had won the lottery in a while, so the value of the grand prize had
grown to 5 billion. And when a certain someone won that grand prize, it
was all over the national news. They had supposedly hidden my personal
information, but that information leaked out right after I transferred the
money into my bank account. I dont know how they did it, but it seems
there are loopholes that allow people to acquire that sort of information.
It may have been a mistake to accept it as a lump sum.
By midnight that night, a group of masked men broke into my house
through a window.
I managed to escape with only the clothes on my back, but I found my
house burned to the ground when I returned at sunrise. Naturally, my
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Attraction 01

bankbook and seal were missing. The police officer who appeared to be
secretly enjoying my misfortune suggested I freeze my bank account, but it
was empty by the time I did. I received a confusing explanation filled with
terms like foreign banks and online banks, but it boiled down to the
fact that there was no regaining what was lost.
And despite all this, I was still pursued by people for all sorts of reasons:
inviting me into their religion, asking me to help unfortunate children,
asking me to pay off their debt, begging me to buy them medicine, etc.
What I needed now was money.
I needed money to erase all information on the current me, so I could
start fresh with a new life.
The nail clippers (5p), the electric shaver (30p), the stroller (15p), the file
folder (3p)oh, and the beer can (5p) and oxygen tank (100p), too. I
guess those are the items with usable metal parts.
Oh? But wont the gunshot make the oxygen tank explode?
If I empty it first, its just a metal tube.
That said, I wasnt a diver, so I didnt know how thick it actually was.
Well, it doesnt matter to me. But dont forget you need funds to purchase
those tools. What will you sell?
The metal plate (1500p).
Eh? Should you really do that? It looks like the thickest and safest tool to
me.
I said Im selling it, so Im selling it! Its the most blatantly obvious trap!!
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Attraction 01

Fine, fine. You could have used it in other ways than its thickness, though.
For example, you might be able to use its weight to crush the empty
oxygen tank (100p) to create a flat metal plate.
No matter how many ways it could be used, I could never earn enough
points to buy it.
The biggest item I had was the oxygen tank (100p). I emptied it of air and
then used the duct tape to attach the other various metal parts around it.
Now then, will that tank be thick enough? You see them explode after
being shot in movies a lot.
Shut up. You cant trust what you see in movies.
Everything up through removing the air may have been a good idea, but
?
With a metallic click, the pocket watch in the bunny girls hand stopped its
ticking.
The 30 minute time limit was over.
The long-awaited shooting time had arrived.
The thought of that caused a great amount of sweat to soak my body. My
breathing grew unbelievably shallow and fast.
I had assumed I would be led to some other room, but that was not the case.
The bunny girl reached into her cleavage and pulled out a shiny black
semi-automatic handgun.
It was covered in plastic and almost looked like a toy.
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Attraction 01

But the situation changed after the smiling woman pointed the barrel
upwards.
Her index finger moved.
A great noise exploded out.
It was like lightning had struck a nearby tree. I seriously thought I jumped
a few centimeters from the ground. My heart hurt. Something was wrong
with my pulse. I could not move a single finger, much less my head, so I
looked around with only movements of my eyes.
The bunny girl continued smiling all the while.
Now, please move back behind the tape on the floor at the end of the
room. Well, you dont have to if you dont want to, but being closer puts
you at a disadvantage.
I followed her instructions, but I was driven more by that barrel with
smoke wafting up from it than from a desire to participate in the attraction.
I could not rely on this handmade bulletproof item.
I started to doubt whether my plan would work.
It was handmade and based on an amateur making guesses on top of
guesses rather than on actual data. My trust in it had completely crumbled
upon seeing the force of that properly manufactured handgun.
No matter what I attached around it, it was still just an empty oxygen tank.
Just as the bunny girl had said, they were often detonated by bullets in
action movies.
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Attraction 01

Would I be okay?
Would I really be okay?
Would the bullet really, really not shoot straight through it and kill me?
Okay, how about we begin?
Wai-
Bang.
In the next instant, I heard an explosive noise, my vision spun around, and
my breathing literally stopped.
My chest hurt. I couldnt breathe. An pain that was unpleasant to even
think about writhed throughout my body as if my blood vessels were being
stretched to their limit.
My field of vision was pointed up toward the ceiling.
It took several seconds before I realized I had collapsed to the ground.
But then something else happened.
I saw the bunny girl peering down at my face.
Hmm Oh, youre alive. Then I guess you pass.
?
When you fell down right as I fired, I thought you were done for, but it
looks like you only passed out for an instant due to the shock of the
gunshot. There is no trace of the bullet passing through your impromptu
bulletproof item made from that oxygen tank. Looks like you definitely
pass.
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Attraction 01

I did not feel like I had survived.

I still did not feel like I was breathing.
I felt so little like I was alive that I would have believed it if someone told
me I was having an out-of-body experience.
But the bunny girl had just announced my victory.
Which
Which meant
I won the attraction
If that was the case, I had won 200 million yen. I could regain the life I had
lost by having my information leaked after winning the lottery. I could not
imagine what exactly it took to completely erase my personal information,
but surely I could manage it with 200 million yen.
I could finally see the light of hope.
I tried to reach my hand out toward it as I lay on my back, but then the
bunny girl said something else with the same smile as always.
Okay, that ends the first round of the attraction. Now lets move onto the
second round.

What?
This time, it was not my breathing that stopped; it felt like time had
stopped. And yet the bunny girl did not take it back.
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Attraction 01

She did not take back what she had said.

Oh, its nothing hard. You dont need to learn any new rules. You just
have to repeat the exact same attraction is all.
N-no! Dont screw with me!! You said I would get 200 million yen if I
won the attraction!! You explained that at the beginning!!
Yes, and you will get that money once you do clear the entire attraction,
said the bunny girl while tilting her head in an obviously feigned look of
puzzlement. Remember the rules?

Deadly Bullet Game.

Your time limit is 30 minutes.
Once that time has passed, you will be shot from a distance of 15 meters.
Please create some bulletproof equipment before the shooting event begins.
However, you may not currently use the items prepared on the stage.
The current situation is similar to being handed a can of food without a can
opener. However, do not forget that you can sell an unopened can even
without a can opener.
All of the items on the stage have a set price.
You may sell any unneeded items to earn funds with which you may
purchase the items you need.
Any item you sell or have used once can never again be used in this
attraction.
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Attraction 01

Any survivors after the attraction has ended will be paid 200 million yen.

Any item you have used once.

Any item you have used once.
Any item you have used once.
That means!!!!
The attraction is meant to have multiple rounds. That is what that means.
Oh, but it would be boring to just repeat the exact same thing, so the
caliber of the gun gradually rises. Round one was a 38 caliber, round two is
a 45 caliber, and round threewell, by that point a handgun isnt big
enough.
Roundthree? How many rounds does this attraction have!?
I have no obligation to tell you that. But you can assume it has at least
three.
People could remain happy while faced with something unreasonable by
rejecting it as unreasonable and escaping from reality.
But they would eventually realize that would not work forever.
For me, that moment came when I heard the ticking.
At some point, the pocket watch in the bunny girls hand had begun
moving once more.
The time limit.
The next time limit was approaching.
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Attraction 01

That was when it happened.

I finally felt as if a cold wind was blowing through that hot room.
The problem I had to think about first and foremost was
Wait. Wait!!
What is it?
I just used everything I thought I could use for a bulletproof item. I cant
do anything for a second round!!
I see. Then youre in quite a bind.
It was obvious what her smile meant.
She knew.
She knew from the beginning this would happen!!
Why you!!
Blood rushed to my head, but the feeling disappeared a moment later.
I saw a dark hole.
It was the 45 caliber barrel of the gun that would be used in the next round.
It was clearly larger than the previous one.
It was obviously more powerful.
You have 24 minutes and a few seconds left, announced the bunny girl
while still smiling.
She knew I could not do it.
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Attraction 01

I will fire the same as before once the time comes, so do your best to
create a solid shield.

Someone spoke within a dark room somewhere.

What do you think?
You still dont get it? He sold the metal sheet (1500p), so he can buy all
the other items.
Will that help him?
If he realizes he can stop a bullet by filling the fish tank with water or
piling all the paper up, he might be able turn this around.
But it seems he is completely focused on the metal due to the guidance of
the employee we dispatched.
Thats what she is supposed to do. Playing a thankless role can be hard.
So will he be able to last through all 10 rounds?
Hes going to have a tough time of it. But there is no easy way of getting
rich quick.

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Attraction 02

Attraction 02: Hide-and-Seek Gamble

Before beginning the attraction, please answer the question on this form.
Two teams of five will play hide-and-seek with a time limit of 30 minutes.
If all of the hiders are found, the seekers win. If even one hider is not found,
the hiders win. Under these conditions, which team do you think will win?
I felt the most important factor in hide-and-seek was the size and
complexity of the stage, but no description was given of that. However, I
had always been good at hiding. For that reason, I filled in the circle for
the hiders without thinking too much about it.
Thinking back, I should have realized sooner that the attraction had already
begun at that point.
I was blindfolded, loaded into the back of a truck of a shipping company
called Direct Transportation, and taken somewhere.
When the blindfold was removed, I first saw the brown, rusty wreckage of
a giant Ferris wheel.
The sounds of crows carrying on hurt my ears.
Okay, okay, okay. Lets get this attraction started! said a bunny girl in a
bright voice while standing amid a bunch of tough-looking men in plain
work uniforms. Everyone, pay close attention to the armbands on your
right arm. Red means you are a seeker and blue means you are a hider.
Okay, split into your groups now.
I had a blue armband on my right arm.
That meant I was a hider.
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Attraction 02

We lined up as per the bunny girls instructions. The hiders with the blue
armbands made up a group of two men and three women while the seekers
with red armbands made up a group of four men and one woman.
The bunny girl quickly continued her explanation in a cheerful voice.
Now, the seekers are Tanaka Masuo-san, Satou Tadakage-san, Inoue
Kyouko-san, Kinoshita Shizuyuki-san, and Kawamo Ryuujin-san. The
hiders are Yamada Megumi-san, Akaumi Hatsuko-san, Hasebe Kensukesan, Tobukuro Jirou-san, andoh, we have two Tanaka-sans. This one is
Tanaka Mitsu-san. Those are the ten participants in this attraction.
That explanation did not actually explain who anyone was.
And the bunny girl did not seem to care.
We could work together or struggle individually for all she cared.
The hide-and-seek stage is everything within this amusement parks
grounds. The seekers will be given cheap digital cameras. Any hiders
photographed with them will be considered captured. We will determine
what is valid. The hiders are free to change locations as long as they have
not been captured. But if moving gets them caught, that defeats the entire
purpose.

The seekers will wait here while the hiders are given 30 minutes to hide.
The seekers will use the 30 minutes after that to seek. Will they find
everyone within the time limit, or will at least one escape? That will decide
the victors of this attraction, so do your best

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Attraction 02

The high-pitched sound of a whistle rang out.

It came from the one in the bunny girls small mouth.
I was a hider, so I ran off on my own just as I had been instructed. Unlike
with the seekers, there was little merit for the hiders to gather in one place.
If any one of us survived, we would win, so our odds were better if we
were as far apart as possible.
Now then
The most prominent feature of the neglected and worn down amusement
park was the Ferris wheel, but my gaze also stopped on the roller coaster
rails that cut across the grounds. In addition to the attraction facilities like
the haunted house and freefall was a section with some restaurants and a
large shopping mall for souvenirs.
Since we were playing hide-and-seek, I needed to enter some kind of
building.
The first decision I had to make was
Should I stay in one place or move around a lot?
If I was planning to stay in one place without moving, I needed to slip into
some place to which it was unlikely anyone else would come. For example,
a tunnel for the roller coaster. A place like that was normally off limits due
to the danger, but it would be safe while the roller coaster was not running.
But if I slipped into somewhere tricky like that, I would be unable to
monitor the situation and it would be difficult to escape if I was about to be
found. It was an all or nothing gamble.
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Attraction 02

If I was planning to move around, I would need to hide somewhere that

constantly had plenty of exits. That would allow me to sneak out if I was
about to be found. But that sort of area would also be easier for the seekers
to enter, so I had a greater risk of being found.
Both options had their advantages and disadvantages.
As I was trying to decide which plan to go with, a voice called out to me
from behind.
Hey. Hey you!
?
I turned around to find a girl of about college age approaching.
You have a blue armband, so youre a hider too, right? Im Yamada. Who
are you?
Hasebe, I replied.
Hasebe, hm? You arent thinking of hiding somewhere tricky, are you?
Yknow, like climbing up to the top of the freefalls supporting pillar, so
they cant see you from below.
Would that be a problem?
I had not decided what to do yet, but I decided to keep the conversation
going.
Yamada-san frowned and said, Werent you listening to the rules? The
seekers just have to snap a photo of us to capture us. Even if you escape to
where they cant reach you, a single flash of the camera and youre done
for.
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Now that you mention it

When I thought further about the digital cameras, another problem hit me.
Then wont we be at a huge disadvantage if one of the seekers climbs up
somewhere high so they can photo all across the park?
Of course. Oh, right, right. Have you checked your watch?
?
Cmon, thats one of the most basic precautions. The hiders hide during
the first 30 minutes and the seekers seek during the next 30 minutes. But
what if one of the seekers blows a false whistle? They can just photograph
any hiders who carelessly come out.
That was something else I had not realized until she pointed it out.
But given the reward for this attraction, the odds were good they would try
some sort of malicious trick.
The winners would be given 200 million yen each.
The entire losing team would be executed. I did not know how exactly that
would be done, but I doubted they would just take our lives quickly and
painlessly. After all, they had gone to the trouble of luring us in with all
that money.
This attraction would lead either to heaven or hell.
The whistle was blown at exactly 4:30. Make sure to use that time as your
basis. Im a hider too, so I want as many survivors as possible.

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This was a cruel attraction with human lives on the line, but it at least had a
clear distinction between friend and foe. If our team won, each individual
member was rewarded, so none of us had any reason to betray each other.
Ill be going then. Lets try not to get caught.
I watched Yamada-sans back as she ran off toward the shopping mall, but
I finally recalled I had no time to spare.
The hiders earned little from working together, but the seekers earned a lot
by working together.
For example, if one of them climbed up to an elevated position to watch
over the amusement park, he could cover almost the entire outdoors area. If
the other seekers then searched through the haunted house and other
buildings, they could easily find most of the hiders.
The indoor areas were restricted spaces.
No matter where you hid, you would be found if every nook and cranny of
the building was searched.
It was possible the remaining four seekers would not be able to search all
of the indoor areas within the half hour time limit, but it was too dangerous
to rely on an assumption.
If I lost, I would be killed.
No, even if I had never taken part in this attraction, my ruin would have
come before long without the prize money.
I had no other options.
If I did not win here, it was all over.
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Attraction 02

I would do whatever it took to win. And all of the participants, both seeker
and hider, likely felt the same.
I would never win if I looked at this as a normal game of hide-and-seek.
I needed a sneakier, sure-fire method that would ensure I would not be
found.
Wait.
If I did not enter a building, I would be spotted by the lookout from an
elevated area.
If I hid indoors, I would likely be found as they thoroughly searched all of
the buildings.
But
What if there was a third option that was neither indoors nor outdoors?

The 30 minutes came to an end.

A distant whistle signaled the end of the hiding time.
Several sets of rushing footsteps could be heard immediately afterwards.
At least one of the seekers would likely be headed for an elevated location
to act as a lookout.
Given my hiding spot, my vision was severely restricted. The biggest
problem with an elaborate hiding spot was the lack of information on ones
surroundings. I had no way of peering down on the complicated terrain
from above like in a movie or video game.
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And on top of that, it was hard to breathe.

Each time I exhaled, more lukewarm air built up. I began to wonder if I
would simply suffocate here.
Gyah!! Wait, dont take a picture!!
Ive found a hider! I think her name was Akaumi. Hey, stop that. Dont
grab at it!!
I just received word that someone ran toward the haunted house!
That stupid lookout! Why didnt he take a picture!? Then we would have
had them!!
My field of vision was so limited that I had almost no idea what was
happening, but I could tell just from the conversations that the attraction
was accelerating. My heart began racing unpleasantly fast and I started to
wonder if the sound of my heartbeat would give me away.
But I would be fine.
I had to be.
The seekers were searching based on the idea that the lookout covered
outdoors and everyone else searched indoors. They would never find my
third option for a hiding spot.
After all
I was inside an old, dirty mascot costume lying on the ground.
You could say I was hiding outdoors.

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However, the seeker acting as a lookout over the entire amusement park
from an elevated location could not tell if someone was hiding within a
mascot costume lying on the ground. It was possible someone might get
too close and hear me breathing, but the other seekers assumed all of the
hiders were indoors.
And so they would not do a thorough search of this area.
They would rush to the buildings to search them as thoroughly as possible.
They did not want to leave a building unsearched before time ran out.
I had just one job.
I did not need to backflip out of the way of spotlights or keep objects
between me and a moving enemy like in a spy action thriller.
I simply had to remain motionless.
I had to lie on the ground without moving a muscle.
But when failure meant death, doing nothing for 30 minutes was easier
said than done. In fact, my sense of time had long since been thrown out of
order. I would likely have gone insane inside that mascot costume had I not
had my watchs alarm set to tell me when the game was over.
The costume was located near the old shopping mall.
That left me near a building if it looked like I would be found out.
I was sure this was the correct answer.
There was a risk of the seekers claiming the costume was a type of clothing
and therefore a picture of it would qualify, but I was still safer than if I was
running around the amusement park.
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Or so I thought.
Ones surroundings would sometimes change the situation considerably.
Someone suddenly kicked at the head of the costume.
I almost cried out, but frantically held back.
This game of hide-and-seek was a team match. If a single hider remained
after the attraction ended, we would all win. So all hope was not lost if I
was captured. However, I had no idea how many hiders were left.
And
I was sick of having my life controlled by others.
I desperately tried to determine whether someone had accidentally tripped
over the costume or if they were checking to see if someone was inside.
But regardless of the answer, what I had to do was remain perfectly still.
Either way, it was all over if they realized someone was inside.
Please continue on.
Please leave.
As I desperately prayed, something unexpected happened.
Hasebe-kun?
I heard a familiar voice. It belonged to Yamada-san, a fellow hider.
I had no obligation to respond and the hiders gained little by working
together, but it would all be over if one of the seekers saw us. I spoke
quietly while remaining motionless to make sure the seeker acting as a
lookout would not notice.
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Attraction 02

Yes, its me.

Good. You havent been found yet.
What about you, Yamada-san? Do you know about the others?
In this attraction, the hiders had no reason to betray each other. That was
why I spoke to her, but then something seemed off.
Thats right.
She might have known someone was hiding inside the costume due to a
slight movement or the sound of breathing, but how had she known it was
me?
It was almost as if she had seen what had happened to every other hider.
It cant be
My throat grew dry.
The situation continued on nonetheless.
It cant be!!
And then Yamada-san, who was supposedly a hider, shouted out as loud as
she could manage.
Theres a hider over heeeerrrrrrrreeeeeeee!!!!!!
Her announcement made no sense.
But it greatly influenced the attraction regardless.

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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 02

I stood up without bothering to remove the mascot costume and ran toward
the shopping mall. The lookout might have gotten a picture, but I did not
hear anyone announce they had gotten me.
But it was only a matter of time.
Where was I supposed to hide now? The shopping mall was large, but the
area inside the building was still limited. If the four seekers not acting as
the lookout thoroughly searched the building, they would eventually find
me.
And
Yamada-san casually walked into the mall and spoke with a grin.
Its no use. You and I are the only hiders left. We will be found here and
it will all be over.
In this attraction, the hiders gained nothing by betraying each other.
If the team lost, Yamada-san would be killed too.
But
What if that assumption was not actually true?
We were asked a question at the very beginning. We were asked whether
the seekers or the hiders would win. I thought the teams were decided
based on that, but
But the attraction would not work if more people chose one side, right?
I had no idea how they had chosen the teams when it had not come out to 5
and 5. Perhaps they had drawn lots.
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Attraction 02

What mattered was that Yamada-san had answered that the seekers would
win.
And if the gamble was based on which side you had predicted would win
rather than which team you were on
Then there could easily be someone like Yamada-san on the hider team
that wanted the seekers to win.
Kh!!
I stripped off the useless mascot costume and frantically looked down at
my watch. It showed 15 minutes left until the alarm went off. I could never
escape the seekers for that long just by running at random.
Even if the shopping mall was large, its design was very simple in order to
make the space look even larger. In other words, I would be found quickly
no matter where I hid. The giant fish tank in the entrance was filled with
muddy water, but I could never hold my breath long enough to hide inside
it.
I dont know how theyre going to kill you, but I promise to laugh my ass
off while watching it happen.

Whether I remained indoors or escaped outdoors, I would be found.

The seekers had already constructed that system.
I needed to find a spot the seekers would not try to search just like the
mascot costume from before.
I needed a mental blind spot.
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Attraction 02

I had only one hope of victory.

And the seekers found me not long after entering the shopping mall.
I had hid inside a trashcan, but they made sure to check inside it. I may
have made sure they focused on small areas like that when they found I
had been hiding in that costume.
I could not remember their names, but I was photographed by two
salaryman-like men from the seeker team. Then one of the organizers in
work uniforms led me to the front entrance of the amusement park.
The other hiders were gathered there.
One girl had blood flowing from a split lip. She may have tried to steal the
digital camera from a seeker.
After staring at a pocket watch for a while, the bunny girl finally brought a
silver whistle to her lips and produced a high-pitched tone that covered the
entire park.
The sound was filled with despair.
The hiders and the seekers. That whistle announced a great prize for one
team and death for the other.
The bunny girl smiled and said, Now then, I think the outcome is obvious,
but it is time for the official announcement. Her voice spread out through
the area. It seemed to continue on forever. Four of the hiders have been
captured. Yamada Megumi-san is still unaccounted for. One of the hiders
has survived, so the winner of this attraction is the hider team
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 02

All strength seemed to leave my body.

Heh.
And then a smile slipped out onto my face.
But this was not the sort of smile you would find in a childs picture diary.
This was the smile of a man who had thrown someone else under the bus.
But I had won.
I had won.
Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha!!
The other hiders had no idea what had happened, but their tension seemed
to have melted away as well. They were all strangers, but they started
embracing each other with tears in their eyes. I even had a stranger hug me
and kiss me on the cheek. I was a disappointed to look up and find it was a
man.
Meanwhile, the seeker team was much less thrilled.
How? How!? What do you mean you couldnt find Yamada of all people
in the end!? I thought she bet on the side of the seekers!
Was her cooperation all a giant bluff? No, she gained nothing from it.
Shes still hiding somewhere now. If she had somewhere that safe, she
could have just hidden there without bothering with the bluff!
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 02

No matter what anyone said, the attraction was over.

The outcome had been decided.
I would be given my prize of 200 million yen. I could escape my dead end
of a life. As I felt that hit home, the bunny girl spoke to me.
Congratulations.
Could you kiss me on the cheek? I just had a horrible experience.
Here you go.
In the West, this is a form of greeting!!
After that moment of pure bliss, the bunny girl asked me a question.
By the way, I get the feeling you are the one that holds the key to this
attraction. Do you mind if I ask what actually happened?
I dont mind as long as I know the result of this attraction is set in stone.
Can you guarantee that nothing will overturn the result and my prize
money will not be taken from me?
I guarantee it. Now, I would like to know where Yamada Megumi-san is.
Okay.
That was simple.
Yamada-san had bet the seekers would win, but she was in the position of
a hider. That meant we would win if she was not found up to the very end.
That was why I had done what I had done.
Yes.
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Attraction 02

There was a place the seekers would never search.

A place that I could never hide in myself.
Shes in the muddy fish tank in the shopping mall. I put some makeshift
weights in her clothes so she would sink to the bottom.
The rules never said anything about the hiders having to be alive by the
end.

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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

Attraction 03: Bang, Bang, Bang!!

I was truly a pathetic person.
When I succeeded in something, I would naively assume I could succeed
the next time too. Even if I was in the middle of possibly the most crucial
competition of my life, I would forget the risks of failure and assume I
would be fine.
When I did that repeatedly, it was only natural that I would fall through a
pitfall.
And then the only way to crawl back out was with a once-in-a-lifetime
gamble.
I had believed I would succeed because I had succeeded before.
But that was not how life worked.
No one remained on an upward path forever. Nor was anyone set on a path
of never-ending failure.
However
That did not mean I was nave enough to think everyone had the same
amount of luck.
Pant, pant
I was on the grounds of an abandoned factory on the coast.
I held a handgun with a single bullet loaded.
Five people in similar circumstances had been gathered and a bunny girl
had given simple instructions after providing us each with a handgun.
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

Kill everyone else. The last surviving person will be given a new identity
and a path to escape to a happy new country.
The rules were so simple that there was no room for interpretation.
Everyone gathered here wished for a new world to live in in order to
escape loan sharks or gangs or something similar.
This has got to be a joke, a fat boy had said as he stared down the barrel
of his own gun.
In the next instant, he had blown out his right eye and collapsed to the
ground. No one wanted to touch the disturbing corpse.
The handguns were real.
The attraction was real.
Anyone would panic when thrown into a situation like this, but I recovered
from the shock relatively quickly. I had experienced this sort of cruel game
several times before. And I had always believed I would survive somehow
or another. That was why I had already prepared myself by the time I
detected that characteristic scent. From here on, the rules we had learned
from our parents and at school would no longer apply.
That said
This would still be the first time I had actually killed someone with my
own hands.
This is no different. The losers were just killed where I couldnt see them
before.

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Attraction 03

Once we had understood the rules, it was obvious we first needed to go

hide. Without exchanging a word, the other three remaining participants
and I had scattered throughout the abandoned factory, leaving the fat boys
corpse lying in the starlight.
The biggest problems were the handguns we each possessed and the single
bullet in each one.
We each had the power to kill a single enemy in a direct confrontation. But
using that trump card would inform everyone else of our location in the
form of a gunshot. And it would also inform them we had used our only
bullet.
No other information could be more useful to any participants who still had
their bullet.
But on the other hand, killing the other participants without using the gun
would be difficult. The enemy only had one bullet, so it would be over for
them if you could make them miss. However, could we really make that
gamble? If we were hit anywhere on our body, it was game over. Even if it
was not a fatal blow, we would be injured too much to move much. The
enemy could then finish us off with a metal pipe or something.
I did not want to use my gun.
The others did not want to use their guns.
Unless there were any other idiots who ended up shooting themselves in
the head, every other participant would have reached this same mental
stalemate.
I had three enemies to deal with.
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

I had a single bullet.

It was a powerful weapon, but it alone was not reliable enough to survive
to the end of the attraction. If I simply tried to shoot my way to the end, I
would hit a dead end.
What am I supposed to do? I muttered without thinking.
Peoples lives were filled with waves. The moments of success and the
moments of failure were alternatively mixed together. That was my theory.
It was important to have a moment of success prepared when it truly
mattered. I wanted to use up a moment of failure on something
unimportant ahead of time in order to prepare success for when it mattered.
It was similar to diminishing losses by knowing when to fold in a game of
poker.
According to that reasoning, the worst thing to do was to stop thinking.
That would just get you repelled by the swirling luck of both varieties
and lead to a horrible fate.
Now then.
I wanted a starting point for my first action.
I needed something that would put me a step above the others.
I knew I had to use my gun to win, but was there a way to use it besides
shooting someone?
Wait, I muttered as I checked on my surroundings from behind a pillar.
I could see the fat boys corpse from where I was.
It was a bit dangerous because he was in an open area, but it looked doable.
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Attraction 03

Two gunshots rang through the night within the abandoned factory.
People are shooting at each other?
Myself included, there were four remaining participants. I had heard two
gunshots, so either two of them had run across each other or the third
participant had led them into a conflict.
If I was lucky, the two had killed each other, but if I wasnt, they might
both have survived. The third participant and myself had the two remaining
bullets. If both shooters had survived, that meant I would need to use
something other than a gun to kill the last person.
Not good.
Had I used up my successful turn when I saw the fat boys corpse and
came up with my idea? I had not intended to make a real gamble yet at that
point.
A possible need to kill someone without a gun had arisen.
I was all for gender equality, but as a woman, I was unsure if my slender
arms would be up to the task.
I wanted to believe the two shooters had killed each other.
If that was the case, I simply needed to kill the final participant with my
bullet.
I guess I need to check on the situation.

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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

I was most afraid of not knowing whether they were alive or not. If I did
not check for myself how many had survived, I could not come up with a
proper strategy.
I pulled a small bag out of my pocket, took a candy out of it, and tossed the
candy into my mouth. This was a superstition of mine. It was soda flavored.
That was my favorite flavor of the different colored candies, but I grimaced.
Why am I using up my success here?
I had hoped to use up a failing turn on something insignificant just before
this important gamble.
I slowly walked through the weeds as I moved along a wall in the
abandoned factory grounds. Sweat oozed from the hand holding the
handgun. I had only one bullet. I understood what an overwhelming
advantage that bullet was, but it was all over if I missed. Could I really
gain the full value of that single bullet?
While still hiding behind the crumbling outer wall, I peered into the factory
that was missing any equipment.
I could see someone inside.
The building was too dark to see whether it was a man or woman, but it
was definitely a participant in this attraction.
Was this one of the two shooters?
Or was this the third participant who did not take part in that shootout?
The answer to that would tell me whether the person had a bullet in their
gun or not. My movements naturally grew more cautious. And then
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Attraction 03

I heard a rustling from the side.

!?
I immediately turned in the direction of the noise and found a middle-aged
participant aiming his gun at me. And the figure within the abandoned
factory frantically aimed their gun at me after hearing the same noise.
Both of them?
I had heard two gunshots. That should have meant only one other person
had a bullet left.
It was possible one of them was bluffing, but if that was not the case
(Were those two gunshots a decoy!?)
One of the other participants might have recorded the sound of the fat boy
shooting himself at the beginning. They may have originally been
intending to record the bunny girls promise regarding the reward, though.
At any rate, they had used that.
No one had used their gun.
Which meant
Not good!!
I had nowhere to hide. I frantically tried to leap to the side but did not
make it in time.
I heard a much deeper sound than before and a dark red hole opened in my
right side.
Gah!?
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

This was a horrible failing turn!!

I did not have time to fire back. I could not stop my momentum of trying to
escape, so I collapsed onto the grass-covered ground. The middle-aged
man then took the gun from my hand.
Dont think badly of me. I just used up my bullet, so I need to get a new
The mans words were suddenly cut off.
They were replaced by a gunshot.
I had just shot the man in the middle of the chest with another handgun in
my hand.
Bh.bh?
Youre holding the gun that belonged to that fat guy who killed himself.
Thats why I didnt move it over into this hand.
I had intended to pretend to give up at some point and shoot my opponent
when they let their guard down, but the situation had advanced too quickly.
The moments of success and moments of failure continued to intertwine.
.Uuh
With a look of shock frozen on his face, the man collapsed backwards.
I doubted he could be saved at this point, but at least he was able to look up
at the stars as he died.
Gh Dammit

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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

But some problems remained. I had used my gun. The fat man and the
middle-aged mans guns were out of ammo too. But I knew at least one
other participant who knew I was here was inside the abandoned factory.
And the final participant was still unaccounted for.
And I definitely have a failing turn coming up. This is bad.
I could not use any of the guns.
Or could I?
There had been two gunshots. Three handguns lay on the ground.
It was too soon to give up. The other participants did not know the details
of the situation, so could I trick them into thinking one of the guns was still
loaded?
Two enemies remained with actual loaded guns and I had only one empty
gun to use as a bluff.
Heh
I pulled a candy out of the small bag in my pocket.
I placed it on my tongue and tasted mint. I hated mint.
I grimaced at the flavor, but still smiled.
That was a good omen.
I had used up my failing turn. I would surely be successful next.

And after a few more gunshots rang out and a few more people died, the
attraction reached its conclusion.
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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 03

The bunny girl gave a carefree announcement.

Okay, the attraction is over.
A single figure sat up in the center of the abandoned factory grounds.
It was the chubby boy who had thought the attraction was a joke, peered
into his own handguns barrel, and shot himself in the right eye.
He held his right eye that was visibly red and wet even in the starlight.
Oh? If its over, does that mean the other four all killed each other? Then
do I get my ticket to a new life?
You do. To be honest, the others were much more fun to watch. I feel like
giving them an award for effort.
But the winner is the last one alive, right? It doesnt matter how many
people I killed.
True. The bunny girl stared into the dark red hole where the chubby
boys right eye had been. But I cant believe you did that as a bluff.
I needed a safe way out of the deadlock between the five of us. One eye
seems a fair price to pay.
When the boy had been given his handgun, he had taken out the cartridge
and replaced the bullet with some paper while the other participants were
focused on a map of the area. He had created what was known as a blank.
But even a blank created enough of a blast to easily crush an eyeball when
fired at the face from close range. The paper used in place of the lead
would have been perfectly harmless at a distance of a few meters, but it
was dangerous enough at a distance of a few centimeters.
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Attraction 03

By the way, what were you planning to do if someone tried to check the
body?
I was just banking on that not happening. I panicked a bit when that pretty
woman came to get my gun.

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A Simple Monitoring

Intermission 1

Intermission 1
Eh? What is this?
I thought this was going to be things like roller coasters and freefall rides.
These are the attractions?
Maybe these are indoor attractions. Yknow, a horror ride using 3D video.
The bunny is pretty great.
I thought Attraction Land was supposed to be a world of dreams and
magic? Why are these new attractions so grotesque?
Werent they bought out by a movie distribution company recently?
Maybe the horror stuff is related to them.
Those organs sure were real looking. Was that CG or special makeup?
They might have just used pig or cow organs.
That bunny is so moe.
So when these are made, are the guests supposed to play these games with
each other?
I could see this causing actual fights.
The park staff would probably act as the dealers and NPCs.
Eh? So the staff would have to wear that bunny suit?
Who is it that wont shut up about the bunny?

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A Simple Monitoring

Intermission 1

(The intermission will soon come to an end. Please continue helping us

with this monitoring. If you have not been filling out your form for any
reason, please begin soon.)

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A Simple Monitoring

Attraction 04

Attraction 04: Sudden Death Old Maid

Old maid.
That term referring to an older unmarried woman may not mean anything
to someone from Japan at first glance, but it sounds a lot more familiar
when referred to with the Japanese term baba-nuki.
When you think about the English meaning, the rules of the game seem a
bit cruel, dont they?
I was sitting at a table playing an altered version of old maid.
It was a one-on-one game.
Each player had half of a 52 card deck handed to them. Then each player
was given 26 jokers for a total of 52 cards each.
Both players shuffled their deck just once to complete their preparations.
Player A could freely choose cards from any part of his deck, but he could
only display two cards at once. Player B would take one of those two cards.
The card taken would be counted and the other card would be discarded
without being shown to Player B.
Each player would take turns in this process until all cards had been taken
or discarded. The player with fewer jokers in the end would be the winner.
The winner would be given money based on the number of jokers the loser
took and the loser would gain a debt of the same amount.
If a player was caught cheating, he would be given the same debt as the
maximum of 26 jokers. However, the cheater had to be caught in the act. If
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Attraction 04

a player claimed the other was cheating yet no evidence of cheating could
be found, he would take on that maximum debt instead.

I had just added the 26 jokers to my deck and shuffled it.

On the other side of the round table from me was a blond youth covered in
accessories who looked like he had everything a salaryman like me did not.
He shuffled his cards as well and even stylishly placed them on one edge
of the table.
The youth grinned and said, You look out of place here. Do you know
where you are? Each joker is worth 10 million yen.
And you are trying too hard to look good.
You dont look like the kind of person for this attraction.
Neither do you. You dont look like the kind of person who would screw
up badly enough to need to take part in this.
In a way, my victory was already assured from the moment I took part in
this Sudden Death Old Maid.
My family had already escaped to a country with a low cost of living. They
may have thought it was just an overseas trip, but I had no intention of
having them come back if I lost this attraction.
I had heard the large sums of money changing hands in this attraction were
handled by Spider Finances which was well known in the black market.
But they would only be able to get their hands on me.
They might be able to take my organs, but they would not reach my family.
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Attraction 04

If I won, I would acquire the money I needed and if I lost, I would lose
everything, but my family would be saved either way.
That was my definition of victory.
Okay, okay. Lets get this game of Sudden Death Old Maid started, cut
in a smiling bunny girl who appeared to be the same age as my daughter.
Have you decided on a strategy? Are you picturing victory in your mind?
Have you prayed to god? Well, its time to begin either way. It takes so
long to get through everyone with these one-on-one attractions.
The youth and I each grabbed one of the two cards the bunny girl held out.
I had the ace of spades.
The youth had the king of spades.
Morita-san, you got the ace, so you go first.

Going first or last did not provide any real advantage.

Even if the youth managed to give me all 26 jokers, the game would end in
a draw if I managed to give him all 26 jokers as well.
Cmon, lets do this, old man. Choose.
With a grin on his face, the youth took two cards from his deck and held
them out towards me. I had no way of knowing which was a joker just by
looking at the backs. It was possible both were jokers or neither were
jokers.
After some hesitation, I grabbed the card to the right from my perspective.
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Attraction 04

Joker. Thats 10 million for me.

The youths smile grew deeper.
Morita-san, your count is now one, said the bunny girl.
It was too soon to say whether I was doing well or poorly. Drawing a
single joker was not enough to say anything about my situation.
For example, what if both cards had been jokers?
In that case, I would have drawn a joker no matter which card I chose. If
the youth repeated that process, it would seem I had no chance of winning.
But that was not the case.
The joker I did not choose would be discarded. And we both had 52 cards.
If the youth used up all his jokers early, he would pay for it later. He would
be forced to present me with two normal cards for the second half of the
game.
Its my turn. Hurry up and draw your two cards, old man.
Fine, fine, I said while taking the two cards on top of my deck.
I held them out towards the youth.
The most efficient way of doing damage was to have him choose between
a joker and a normal card. That way, I could have him take a joker without
having to discard one. That allowed the maximum of 26 jokers to be taken.
But
Saaaaaaaaaaafe! Two of spades.
I clenched my teeth and discarded the now unusable joker.
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Attraction 04

Yes. If your opponent chose the normal card, the joker would no longer be
usable. This strategy made the maximum of 26 jokers possible, but it also
made the minimum of 0 jokers possible.
Given the rules, which was the better strategy?
Should I always use two jokers to ensure my opponent took 13 jokers?
Or should I use the jokers one at a time to make the maximum of 26 jokers
possible? I only needed the 100 million from 10 jokers to fix my ruined life,
but
Hurry up and choose, old man.

I hesitated.
My hand moved right, left, left, and right. I finally grabbed the card on the
left from my perspective.
It was another joker.
With the same result as before, I could not tell what my opponents
strategy was.
Was he using two jokers? Or was he using only one at a time, but I kept
choosing it?
And
If I was choosing the single joker, was it a matter of luck or was there more
to it?
In other words, could he be cheating?
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Attraction 04

Morita-saaan. Hurry up, hurry up said the bunny girl.

Thats right, old man. Worrying about it isnt going to help. Just draw
your cards.
I took the top two cards from my deck.
This time it was two jokers.
The blond youth of course chose a joker, but he showed no sign of worry.
His expression only said that this was exactly what he had expected to
happen.
Old man, I can see what kind of life youve lived in these cards. The
youth pulled out two cards from the middle of his deck and held them out.
You are a fairly honest person. Fairly. You arent a perfect saint or
anything. You normally use idealism in any theoretical arguments, but you
sweat bullets and desperately search for a way out when it really matters.
And those irregular actions always cause even more problems for your life.
He brought the two cards even closer to emphasize his words.
It was only a difference of a few centimeters, but it felt like an invisible
wall was pressing against my heart.
You shouldnt do things you arent suited for. This is like a salaryman in
a suit trying to play baseball against the pros. If youre gonna use those
ways out, you need to have the experience.
I took one of the two cards.
Another joker.
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Attraction 04

Nothing had changed.

I had too little information.
I could not tell what his strategy was, so I had no strategy to take myself.
Your turn, Morita-san, urged the smiling bunny girl.
I was worried.
Worried that the youth was cheating.
Of the many forms of gambling, cards were one of the easiest to cheat with.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say more methods of cheating had been
developed because of its widespread use. It may have been similar to why
OSs and browsers used worldwide had more viruses.
There were a lot of different forms of cheating, but they could all be
divided into two basic categories.
The first was preparing new cards to use in a trick. You could add five or
six aces of spades or prepare a card that was the same on both sides. These
methods were extremely effective and did not require much skill, but the
risk of being found out was high.
The second was a trick that did not involve new tools. These were about
pure technique. Examples included appearing to shuffle the deck while not
shuffling at all and accurately pulling out the 30th card from a deck of 52
cards. These required a high level of skill, but the risk of being found out
was almost nonexistent. After all, they left behind no physical evidence.
This game would decide the outcome of peoples lives.
Not many people would leave that up to luck.
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Attraction 04

Anyone who was driven to the point of needing to take part in this
attraction would already know they had no luck at all.
Go ahead.
God, youre slow. Okay, nine of hearts.
The youth did not hesitate to choose his card. He did not appear nervous.
He avoided the joker as if he already knew what he would draw.
Not a single muscle in his body appeared tense as he took two cards from
his deck.
Cmon, choose. Of course, youre just gonna get a joker.

The attraction reached its midpoint.

We had each taken 13 cards from the other.
Oh, dear. You arent doing too well, Morita-san.
No, hes not. Choosing 13 jokers in a row just isnt normal.

It was not normal at all.

I knew that perfectly well.
Just as the youth had said, I had taken 13 jokers. On the other hand, the
youth had only taken 3 jokers from me. And those were only from the

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times I had given him two jokers to choose from, so I could tell something
was going on.
But what exactly was he doing?
I could not stop him from cheating unless I caught him in the act. If I
accused him of cheating when he had not done anything, I would take on
the maximum of 26 jokers as punishment. I could not grab the youths
hand just because it seemed obvious he was doing something.
And I had already wasted 13 jokers.
We each had 26 jokers total. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time
before it was impossible for me to make a comeback. Once that happened,
the youth would no longer need to cheat. He would only need to grab two
random cards to use them up.
The youth had no idea how many jokers I had left.
That was why he had not announced his victory. But the gap was simply
too large. Normally, there was no realistic way for me to win at this point.
But on the other hand
That did not mean I had to accept my defeat.
Old man, hurry it up.
Wait just a second.
Thinking isnt gonna help you.
I could cheat.
If I entered the same territory as that youth, I could still win.
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However
If the youth could cheat this well, he would notice if I made a poor attempt
at it. If I was found out, I would receive the maximum debt of 260 million
yen. I had no idea what the youth was doing to cheat, but he had to believe
he had no chance of losing this attraction. If the situation started to go
badly for him, he would immediately grow suspicious.
Should I try it anyway?
Should I cheat?
Should I try to deceive someone who was clearly more skilled than me?

I had done a bit of research into methods of cheating with playing cards. I
knew a few methods I could use in this situation. But I had only practiced
them a bit on my own. I was not used to using them in such a crucial
moment.
Should I do it? Could I do it?
If you hesitate, youll die, old man, said the youth with a grin. Think of
it like cooking. When you slice up cabbage, you dont make each slice
after measuring out the exact number of millimeters. You get a rhythm
going and chop chop chop chop chop. If you cant do that, youll cut your
fingers.
He had seen straight through my hesitation.
He knew what options were running through my head.

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And yet I still had not figured out how he was avoiding my jokers and
forcing his own onto me.
I could see no marks on the cards or small tools to peek with, and yet the
youth had complete control over all the jokers in this attraction.
He had to be using some kind of trick rather than playing fairly, but I could
do nothing if I did not know the details.
What should I do?
What should I do?
What should I do?

I let out a small sigh.

I made up my mind.
Simply continuing the attraction would simply open the gap between us
further. I would never win that way. If I was going to turn this around, I
could not rely on the normal methods. So I had to do it. The youth would
of course be on the lookout for any cheating, but my situation would
gradually grow worse if I could not slip past his defenses.
Okay. Here goes.
Hurry it up.
I had not noticed it until now, but my fingertips were trembling. I was
sweating. Would I be gradually cornered or would I earn the maximum

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prize in one go? We were both facing our deaths, but I very clearly felt my
life coming to an end.
I reached a hand toward my deck.
The youth narrowed his eyes.
I was going to do it.
I was going to cheat.
If the youth reached out and grabbed my right wrist, it would all be over. I
would be faced with the maximum debt.
The bottom of my index finger touched the card on top of the deck.
I grabbed two cards.
And I drew them.
H-here.
Old man, you thought about trying something, didnt you?
The youth grinned.
I was sweating so much I thought my cheap suit had to be discolored.
But you backed out at the last second. You made some suspicious
movements, but they were a bluff. That was not enough to give you any
advantage.
I glanced over at the bunny girl. She was smiling as always.
Meanwhile, the youth reached out his hand.
He grabbed one of the two cards.
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He took the card that was not a joker.

Its over, old man. You cant win now.
He grabbed the card between his thumb and forefinger.
I opened my eyes wide.
I held my breath.
I fought the dizziness I felt from anxiety.
If I was going to do it
It had to be now.
Wait.
I used my other hand to grab the youths arm before he could pull it back
with the card.
The contents of his hand fell to the table.
Those contents were two cards.
Yes, two cards that had been placed directly on top of each other.
Hes cheating. Bunny girl, you be the judge.
What!? Wait, what the hell are you saying!? I didnt do anything!!
Hmm? The bunny girl tilted her head in feigned confusion. Now, why
are there three cards here where there should only be two?
How should-!?

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Because this youth brought in a third card, I quickly cut in so he could

not say anything unnecessary.
I suppressed his speech.
As the youths mouth opened and closed wordlessly, the bunny girl
continued speaking.
Okay, what does he gain with this third card?
He had the card he wanted ready in his sleeve. When he took the card
from my hand, he would swap it with the one up his sleeve. That way he
could swap out a joker for a normal card.
Bullshit!! I didnt do that! Look, there isnt a single card in my sleeve. If I
was winning that way, I would need to have a bunch of cards hidden
somewhere!!
It does not matter if you have been using this method up until now or
not.
What?
The rules say you take on the maximum of 26 jokers if you are caught
cheating. It does not matter if it is your 1st time or 100th time.
Thats true, chimed in the bunny girl.
G-give it a rest. This is bullshit!! Old man, you just grabbed my arm!!
You had a card hidden in your palm and you just dropped it at the same
time as the card in my hand. Thats what happened!!
Perhaps. I did not force a denial. But it means nothing if you do not
catch me in the act.
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It was the same as the cheating he had done.

And my turn was already over. We could not go back to cheating from the
past.
He had noticed my hand make a suspicious movement, but had had
decided I gave up partway through. That had been his chance, but he
wasted it.
The youth and I looked over at the bunny girl who was watching us from
close by.
However, the look in his eyes was very different from the look in my eyes.
With a cruel smile, the girl simply said, I explained in the beginning what
would happen to you if you cheat.
W-wait It was this old man who cheated!! I didnt do-!!
Oh, so are you saying she can judge cheating from the past now? Im fine
with that. But then I think she will find you are clearly the first one to have
cheated.
Sorry, but I cannot accept any changes to the rules, said the bunny girl.
And there you have it.
I grinned and dropped the single card remaining in my hand onto the table.
It pictured a clown mocking someone.
It was a joker.
Did you think I would do something so reckless without making sure I
had every angle covered?
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The struggling youth was dragged away by several men in work uniforms.
I wondered if I should think too much about what was to become of him. I
decided it was not worth it. No one would take part in this attraction for
fun or on a whim. He must have had a pressing reason to risk his life here.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
That was well thought out.
I could not come up with any other way of fighting back.
Hmm.
The bunny girl seemed to be enjoying herself.
She may have been interested in seeing the sight of two people wearing
each others souls down in the attraction. Perhaps that enjoyment remained
even now that the winner and loser had been decided.
So does that mean
That I know how he was cheating? Of course I dont. If I knew what he
was doing, all I needed to do was grab his arm then.
I thought maybe you figured it out after the fact since he did it so many
times.
Then I would have grabbed his arm the next time he tried it.
I see.
So was this method against the rules?
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No, no. If it had been, we wouldnt have removed that youth.

That meant I would safely earn my prize money and be reunited with my
family. I still needed to be on my guard in case a gang of thieves attacked
just outside the facility, though. It wasnt over until I made it home. I had
ended up having to take part in this sort of attraction because I tended not
to see things through to the end like that.
Oh, right, said the bunny girl.
What?
Do you want me to tell you how he was cheating? It will bother you if
you leave without finding out, right?
She had a point.
But
No, the attraction is over, so it doesnt matter. That would be like drinking
a flat soda.

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Attraction 05

Attraction 05: Loser Resurrection Game

I had always thought I would be the one to torment others as I saw fit.
I had never even considered the possibility I would be on the receiving end.
And yet I had always been a step away from being both.

First, draw lots to form pairs.

You may use whatever method you like, but one member of the pair must
die.
Afterwards, the other member must resuscitate them. If successful your
previous losses will be forgiven.
If you fail, the surviving member of the pair will be killed.

We were gathered in a large area that might have been a supermarket or a

shopping mall.
It had no windows which was not uncommon for such buildings. I could
not tell if it was day or night. The relatively small number of people made
it abundantly clear how large the area was.
After all, there were only 30 people in an area that could easily hold
hundreds.
Youve gotta be kidding me. I squeezed out those words after reading
the rules written on a board. My voice soon rose to a shout. Youve gotta
be kidding me. Youve gotta be kidding me! Youve gotta be kidding me!!
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What kind of rules are these!? One of us must die? Then we have to revive
them? That isnt something you can just do so easily!!
But those are the rules, explained a smiling bunny girl.
Dammit.
Im supposed to be the one in your position!!
And this is not a normal attraction. All of you have already lost once,
right? The normal course of action would simply be to kill you. You are
meant to die and yet we are giving you a chance to make a comeback from
that loss. In that case, isnt it only fair to have you start by coming back
after dying once?
That was some messed up logic.
But they had the power to force it on us.
I felt fear as I watched what I had always hoped for from the position I had
never hoped for.
I had no choice but to do it.
This was not my place. To make sure everyone knew that and to reach the
place I was meant for, I had to think through this like a winner. The instant
I grew timid, I would die. I would fail. I was barely hanging on now, but I
would fall even lower.
Red. I pulled a stick out of a cylinder the bunny girl held out and spoke
the color painted on the end. Red! Who else got red!?

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Those who had drawn other colors looked around amongst themselves. I
was in a group of 15 and another group of 15 stood a short distance away.
It seemed the other group was drawing lots just like we were.
A small woman in her twenties timidly raised a hand when she heard me
shouting.
Her outfit was incredibly plain.
There were plenty of ways to meet failure in your life, but she did not seem
the type to charge toward a gamble on her own. There was only one reason
someone like that ended up falling this low: someone else had kicked her
down on their way up.
I could tell just by looking at her.
Losers would think and act under the assumption that they would lose.
They would claim to be doing their best, but that was just an escape.
What they actually meant was that they did not care if they lost so long as
they did their best.
Tch.
She was not a reliable partner for a literally life-or-death gamble, but there
was nothing I could do to change that.
One of us had to die and the other had to resuscitate them.
We would be literally resurrecting from our loss. To meet the requirements
of the rules, at least two people were needed.
Who are you? I asked.
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H-Hashinaka. What about you?

Kishikawa. But your name isnt what I want to know. What did you do
before ending up here? Anything that might be useful for this game?
I wasum a nurse.
This plain woman who called herself Hashinaka glanced somewhere else.
I looked over to see the smiling bunny girl waving her hand. At her feet
were countless AED sets. Those electric shock-producing medical devices
that could be found in subway stations and hotels were contained in bright
fluorescent colored bags.
Do you know how to work one of those? I asked Hashinaka.
Y-yes.
So do you know what death would be easy to resurrect someone from!?
Not as much as a doctor would
Had I actually lucked out?
This seemed a lot better than a pair where neither knew anything of use.
U-um, what about you?
You could say Im unemployed, I said quickly.
My specialty was collecting on debts. To put it simply, I worked for a loan
shark. When those perverts found a new toy, it was my job to efficiently
bring them to ruin. The name of Spider Finances was well known in the
darker corners of society.
But telling her that would not help matters.
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It was pathetic people like her I had made my prey. I saw no advantage in
telling her more than necessary.
Winners only needed to think about winning.
Thinking about what would happen if you lost or what you needed to do in
order to not lose was the beginning of losing your nerve. It was proof that
the entrance to your doom had begun to open.
I could not allow myself to lower the purity.
I was a winner.
To get straight to the point, I want to know what the safest way to die is. I
know that sounds stupid, but you know what I mean. The AED will have
instructions, but they wont say anything about how to die. What type of
death is that electric shock used for?
U-um uhwell
Please, just answer. My knowledge isnt gonna help here. Youre the only
one that knows how to resuscitate someone. That makes it obvious who
needs to die and who needs to do the saving, right?
Kishikawa-san
Its simple division of labor. But I need you to tell me how to die. So
please tell me, nurse. The AED, the defibrillator, the electric shock, or
whatever you want to call it. What is the ideal type of death to use it on?
B-butjust using the AED does not ensure you can resuscitate someone.
You cannot decide that division of labor so-
Come on now.
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I cut her off in irritation.

Losers really would always be losers. They just did not understand what
was important.
Listen up. Let me make this very clear. There are winners and losers in
life. Which side you are on is determined from birth. A winner can drop
down to being a loser, but the opposite is impossible. Do you get what Im
saying?
B-butthen why?
Was she asking why I was here?
Or was she asking why anyone would make any attempt in a game made
up of losers?
She was too nave.
Those great reversals you occasionally hear about are not actually
reversals. That is when someone who was originally a winner has ended up
a loser due to some kind of mistake. It is only natural that they win and it is
only natural they end up back in their rightful spot. That winners greatest
enemy in that time is cowardice. He is only temporarily in the spot of a
loser, but he will truly become a loser if he ever begins to doubt his rightful
spot. That is the biggest reason why winners become unable to win.

So do not think about what happens if you lose or if you fail. Thinking
like that will leave you an ugly duckling forever. If you want to be a
winner, you need to remember what it is like to win. There is no other way
to win.
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But
I dont know how much you have lost in your life. But you drew the lot
that paired you with me. That person is no simple loser. People lose
because they think they will lose. Their cowardice trips them up. Is that
what has happened to you?Are you going to keep doing what has always
led to failure in the past?
Wait a second, said Hashinaka.
She took a few shallow breaths.
And then she answered.
An AED is a device meant to restart a stopped heart. In other words, it
cannot help with anything else. Stimulating the heart will not help
resuscitate someone with a destroyed organ or extreme blood loss.
Come to think of it, you dont really picture people being given electric
shocks after being stabbed or shot.
But even soA death that causes a lot of damage to the chest would be a
bad idea. You cannot give CPR to a patient with broken ribs.
Hashinaka let out a groan as she called up all of her knowledge.
She knew she was needed.
Fortunately, she was not the type to get ecstatic over that fact.
You usually see CPR being used on people involved in water accidents,
right? I said.
That was a death due to lack of oxygen.
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In other words, suffocation.

The quickest method to pull that off would be
So hanging?
N-no! I do not think you should do that.
?
Most people do not die of suffocation when they hang themselves. Their
entire weight is placed on their neck, so they usually die from a broken
neck or a lack of blood to the brain. Neither of those can be resuscitated
using the AED.
Then what about strangling by hand?
Y-you want me to do that? said Hashinaka with tears in her eyes.
We had only just met, so she obviously did not care about me personally.
She simply did not want to become a murderer even if she was going to
resuscitate me.
But this was obviously no situation for that kind of thinking.
Would it work?
It depends, but it might be difficult. It would all be over if the neck broke
in the process of constricting the throat.
That leavesactual drowning, I guess. Would a method using water be
good?
That would prevent breathing while not putting a burden on the rest of the
body.
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The bunny girl had said we were free to use anything within the large store.
Other than food, it also contained simple furniture, appliances, and tools.
There were industrial refrigerators, tool sets, stainless steel knives, metal
bats, vacuum cleaners, water servers, bathtubs, microwave ovens, handheld
game systems, bread makers, wardrobes, desks, electric guitars, wall
clocks, dryers, laptop computers, lamps, extension cords, and more.
We could use any one of them to kill our partner or resuscitate them.
Nothing was off limits.
I called over the bunny girl.
Hey, we need that bathtub.
Have at it
Youll provide us with water, right?
As long as you dont mind a cold bath.
The preparations took only about 15 minutes.
The other participants cautiously watched us from a distance. Their
pathetic thought process was probably to use us as an experiment to learn
how to succeed.
A bathtub filled to the brim with water lay before me.
I breathed in and then breathed out.
This was hardly the first time the organizers behind the bunny girl had
shown their cruel tastes, but this attraction made me especially aware of

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what a human life was. If only I could have been one of the ones smiling as
they watched on from a safe place.
K-Kishikawa-san. Um, Kishikawa-san.
What?
A-are you really going to do this?
Its the only way to survive this.
B-but Nurse Hashinaka looked at the full bathtub. Can you really kill
yourself in that? This is not like a deep reservoir. You can easily raise your
head above water once it gets painful. And even if you put weights in your
clothes, it would be difficult to create a situation where you cannot bring
up your head.
Thats true.
So thats what shes worried about.
I kept my face as expressionless as possible as I grabbed Nurse
Hashinakas arms.
You dont need to worry about that.
Eh? UmKishikawa-san? Um
She looked puzzled, but she would catch on eventually.
I wanted to get it over with before she did.
It would be hard to drown oneself here. But that just means we need to
use some other method. Like having someone else hold your arms back
like this and shoving your head underwater.
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Waityou dont mean

As Hashinaka stood in that awkward position, she finally figured
something out. With an expression that could have been crying or smiling,
she tried to force her head around to look me in the face.
I ignored her and said, Remember what I said? Im mostly unemployed,
so I need your knowledge to win this attraction. But only the knowledge.
Once I had gotten that knowledge out of her, I needed nothing else.
Winners win because they know they will win. I simply needed the
materials to pull it off.
I had received the nurses relevant advice, so now I shoved the struggling
victim into the bathtub.
The AED came with instructions.
It was made so normal people could use it.
So as long as I knew the ideal way to kill her, I could do the rest on my
own.

And
The smiling bunny girl looked own at her pocket watch and made an
announcement.
Ten minutes until the time limit!
Shit

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I held the electrodes for the AED in my hands. Each hand held an electrode
on the end of a winding cable similar to that of a landline phone.
The device was made to save lives.
It was made to start a stopped heart.
And yet
Shit, shit, shit!! What is going on!? Im doing exactly what the
instructions say!!
Hashinaka lay soaking wet on the ground and her eyes would not open.
They would not open.
And if she was not resuscitated, I would lose the right to eliminate my loss!
The bunny girl answered my question in a tone that made it sound obvious.
This kind of resuscitation doesnt always work.
But!! Thats why I asked her for the ideal method!! I am a winner. I
gathered everything I needed to win! I cant have messed up. I did
everything right!!
Well, even in an ideal condition, the resuscitation isnt a sure thing. But
more importantly, Kishikawa-san, you have been reading the instruction
while also using the AED. Are you absolutely sure you have been using it
correctly?
Wha-?
Oh, the instructions havent been altered, so dont worry about that. But
can a medical amateur like you really understand all the intricacies of using
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the device? Also, added the bunny girl. Kishikawa-san, did you know the
odds of a successful resuscitation drop considerably as time passes? Might
you have spent too much time reading all that small writing?
Ah
You really should have left it up to the professional nurse. Come to think
of it, why was it you were fired by Spider Finances? Didnt you interfere
with a colleagues mark in your haste to get promoted and ended up
putting too much pressure on the mark so he committed suicide?
Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
This was my final hope.
I pressed the electrodes against the limp nurses chest once more and the
bunny girl spoke in a regretful tone.
Shes already dead.
The sound of the pocket watch stopped. She then patted me on the shoulder.
It felt like some kind of sign.
And she whispered in my ear.
And so are you.

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Attraction 06

Attraction 06: Grand Slam Homer

It may sound like bragging, but I was the type who could do anything I set
my mind to.
My batting average was .31. I could bat right handed and left handed which
was an excellent way of putting pressure on the opposing teams pitcher.
But baseball was a team game.
Some idiots who were sulking over being kept on the bench went on a
drunken rampage and cost us the chance to compete in a national
competition. If it had not been for that, I would have had the perfect chance
to be scouted by the pros.
Do you think I should have accepted the discipline and waited for next
year?
I thought the same thing at first.
But I ran out of patience when one of those second string idiots laughed
and said the following:
Heh heh. Dont get your hopes up. Ill cause trouble to fuck up your
chances next year too. And as many years after that as it takes. Seeing you
clenching your teeth like that makes me feel so refreshed.
I beat him again and again with a metal bet.
It turns out hitting a human head does not ring out in the same way as
hitting a ball.

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I had thought there was nothing inside that head of his, but I was wrong
about that.
So how does over 50 strikes all across his body sound to you?
To be honest, I dont think that was enough. I always regretted stopping
there.
Okay, lets get this attraction started.
I was in a domed stadium.
A bunny girl stood on the pitchers mound.
If I had been the person I used to be, I might have run at her swinging my
bat when I saw that amateur standing there not wearing cleats.
We will be using this! The bunny girl lightly tapped a large machine next
to her. Tah dah! Its a pitching machine. Its one of the latest models. Its
straight fastball can reach a maximum of 180 kph and it can also pitch
curveballs, forkballs, sinkers, and sliders.

It will pitch 10 balls. If you can manage at least one homerun, you will
clear the attraction. As a prize, you will gain the right to take part in a
public non-professional baseball tournament. You can do your best there to
catch the eyes of scouts from 12 baseball teams.
A power hitter made up for all of his mistakes in a single hit.
Even if he swung two strikes in a row and got foul after foul afterwards, he
would become a hero if he hit a single homerun.
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That was the case here too.

Of course, such a wonderful opportunity did not come without its risks.
After all, I was a person the police should have been pursuing.
If you fail all 10 times, your right elbow and left knee will be shattered
with a hammer. Without anesthesia of course. But we usually kill people,
so that almost sounds like a joke.
Just out of curiosity, why are you not going with that usual punishment?
Because this is more fun, said the bunny girl with a smile.
She had wonderfully cruel taste.
With a metal bat in hand, I stepped into the right-handed batters box.
My life as a baseball player was riding on this attraction.
But my life would have been over if I had not agreed to this. I just wanted
this one last game. I didnt care how shady it seemed; I wanted to throw
my life away into a serious game that wore at my very spirit.
This is the newly constructed People Dome that even pros would love to
play in. What is it like to stand on this stage of your dreams?
Ill stand here for a more legit reason someday. And I will get there
without anyone elses help.
The distance to the outfield seats was about 100 meters on either side and
115 meters down the center.
This was a domed stadium, so I did not need to worry about the wind.

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The bunny girl had said the pitching machine was one of the latest models
and could manage several types of pitches, but I was not particularly
worried about that.
Pitching machines had a characteristic weakness.
What I needed to watch out for most was
Oh, if the pitch misses the strike zone making it a ball, that pitch does not
count. So feel free to let it go.
Yes, but I dont want that thing to hit me with the ball again and again.
How about this? If the pitching machine hits you three times in a row, I
will pitch instead. But dont try to make it hit you, okay?
The subsequent mechanical noise was louder than I had expected.
I could tell a baseball was being loaded into the pitching machines tube.
A thick roller on either side of the small ball provided it with tremendous
kinetic energy and it shot out with amazing speed.
Ah!!!???
I heard a sharp noise.
I did my best to swing the bat with all my strength along the path of the
ball, but a horrible pain ran through my wrists. Instead of flying forward,
the ball soared diagonally backwards into the net behind me.
Okay, Pitch 1 was a failure.
Gh

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The bunny girl had not used some special trick to alter the timing of the
pitch.
It had been a straight fastball at the machines top speed.
180 kph.
That pure feat of strength created a force no human pitcher could easily
replicate. Even in the Major League, a pitcher who could throw 160 kph
was thought to have an excellent arm. She had seen straight through me.
And so easily.
Wow. You actually managed to hit the ball at the 180 kph setting. The
ball did pop up a bit due to the output being too high, though. You might
not have even grazed it otherwise.

Oh? Is the genius athlete getting worried?

No.
I smiled. It was small, but I could still smile.
I opened and closed my stinging palms a few times and then squeezed on
the bats grip once more.
That makes a good reference point to start from.
I did not need to panic. No matter how many times I failed, I would be a
success if I hit the very last pitch.
The optimum pitch.

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Every pitch before that was nothing more than preparation for that one.
Even with a full count of three balls and two strikes, the final pitch could
change everything. And that first pitch had been a good lesson in that way.
Okay, time for the second pitch. Get ready, get ready.
The smiling bunny girl pressed a few buttons to send instructions to the
pitching machine. With a mechanical noise, the neck that shot out the
ball rotated around.
This would be a different sort of pitch.
The pitching machine was the type that shot the ball using two high speed
rollers. And some pitches gave the ball spin to make it curve.
In other words
The quickest way to mechanically implement those different types of
pitches was to alter the locations of those two rollers. That was why the
neck portion could move.
And so
Unlike a real pitcher, I could easily tell what kind of pitch was coming!
A forkball!?
The ball moved too quickly to follow it visually after it was fired.
I lowered my aim based on my observation of the pitching machine, dug
my cleats into the ground, and rotated my hips. I paid careful attention to
the shifting of my weight as I began to control the path of the bat. I
pictured the semicircle path of the bat and the curving path of the ball
intersecting.
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A powerful impact ran through my hands holding the metal bat.

This was a solid hit.
I continued the swing.
After a slight delay, the characteristic sound of a metal bat rang out with a
higher pitch than a bell.
The ball flew in a large arc.
The ball curved a bit towards third base, but not enough to worry about it
being foul.
Out of habit, I let go of the bat and began running toward first base, but
then I recalled I was in the middle of a homerun gamble.
Would this be it?
Would it make it?
No!!
Ahh. Too bad. That made it to the 85 meter line. Just fifteen meters
more!! Fifteen more meters and it would have been a homerun!!

Whether it was 15 meters or 1.5 millimeters, a ball that did not make it into
the outfield seats was meaningless.
But I had gotten the hang of it.
As long as it was not another ridiculous straight fastball, I could handle
these specs.
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I had eight pitches left.

I can win this!!

But despite my optimism, I failed 5 pitches in a row after that.

Dammit
But not because I had needlessly tried and failed to hit pitch after pitch that
was outside the strike zone. Nor was it because the bunny girl cruelly sent
five straight fastballs in a row.
I accurately hit all five pitches.
I hit them solidly with the metal bat. I hit them with the end of the bat to
provide the maximum amount of kinetic energy.
It had all gone as perfectly as I could have hoped.
Except
Oh, dear. The 90 meter line again. Just a bit more power and you would
have reached the outfield seats at 100 meters.
You
I had thought the same at first.
But after so many failures in a row, it was obvious something was up.
I lightly swung the bat around in my right hand.

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Its weight and hardness seemed about right. It was possible something had
been altered inside it, but I found it unlikely. I would have noticed
something like that while holding and swinging it.
Which meant
You did something to the balls, didnt you!? Youve made them softer
and more shock absorbent than a regulation high school baseball!!
In both professional baseball and high school baseball, what counted as a
regulation ball gradually changed as the rules changed. One change to
the materials in the ball could alter a players batting average.
But the bunny girl smiled and tilted her head.
Oh? I do not remember anyone saying anything about using regulation
balls. In fact, if we were following all the rules, this pitching machine
would be out of the question. You also would not get 10 chances.

If you want to give up, feel free. But that will count as a forfeit. Your life
as a baseball player will be at an end.
Dammit.
Either way, this opportunity was my only option.
I had no choice but to play under this bunny girls rules. I doubted there
was any way I could succeed, but I had to find some loophole to overturn
that assumption.
Was there anything I could use?
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I needed a homerun to win the bunny girls game.

But I could not reach the 100 meter line at the outfield seats with those
balls.
I needed something to overturn that fact.
If I simply tried to hit the balls fired by the pitching machine normally, I
would never overcome that wall. I needed some way to earn a homerun
without using that 100 meter line. Was there a wonderful loophole in the
rules like that?
I went over my score with the previous pitches. I went over the paths taken
by the balls I had hit. No ball was wasted in baseball. The result of every
individual pitch built up to create the overall flow of the game. Vast
amounts of information were hidden within that. I could not give up yet. I
had to solve this. No information could be more useful to a batter.
Wait.
I looked straight up.
There was something.
This environment gave me something.
This was not just a theoretical situation that only existed in the rules. I had
heard about professional players doing it in the past which resulted in
fights with the umpire.
Well? Will you give up?
No.
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I looked forward once more to glare at the bunny girl on the pitchers
mound. I pointed the tip of my metal bat towards her.
I thrust it out toward her.
Even an elementary school student would know what that sign meant. I
had given my sign.
Ill continue.
Excellent.
I had three pitches left.
I was completely changing my methods from before. Would I have time to
readjust with only three pitches?
The eighth pitch came.
It was an inside corner curveball that very nearly scraped against my upper
body. This threw off my timing. I frantically swung the bat, but did not
make it in time.
The ball was knocked upwards, grazed right by the domed stadiums
ceiling, and then fell directly behind me.
That was a stereotypical catcher fly.

Could I do it?
From a distance standpoint, this should be easier, but it seemed the
equation was not that simple.
But I could not hesitate.
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I had already changed my tactics.

I had to give everything I had to succeeding this way!
Here goes.
The ninth pitch.
It was a slider. I got the timing right this time. The trick was to hit it by
scooping up from below. The solid sound of the bat hitting the ball rang
out and the ball arced high into the air.
I had one chance left.
One chance!!
Hmm. It looks like thats your limit, said the bunny girl in a fairly
disappointed tone of voice. You arent even hitting it into the outfield
now. Did you get so nervous you fell into a slump?

It doesnt matter to me. Okay, lets decide this with that wonderful
straight fastball!!
You are a horrible person!!
I dug my cleats into the ground. I rotated my hips. I gathered all of my
strength into moving the end of the bat.
The ball was coming.
This was my final chance.
This was my ticket.
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Observing the angle of the pitching machine told me what kind of pitch it
would be and on what course the ball would take, so I would not miss. As
long as I had the power needed to overcome the overwhelming force of
180 kph, I would make it.
And
The metal bat collided with the white ball.
A solid sound rang out.
The ball veered far from the ideal course toward the outfield seats. It flew
up and up and up.
The bunny girl needlessly placed a hand over her eyes as she looked up
toward the ceiling.
Oh, dear. Looks like you failed again.
Dont be so sure.
?
The bunny girl looked at me in slight puzzlement, but then her confusion
grew even further.
This was the final pitch.
The ball had not flown toward the outfield seats, yet my expression
showed no hint of despair.
I had no reason to despair.
I had succeeded in the very, very end, dammit.
It isnt coming down, I said.
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Eh? Oh You dont mean!!

What happens if a ball does not come down? I believe there is a special
rule for domed stadiums. It explains what happens if a ball strikes the light
fixtures or gets stuck in the framework. This is People Dome, right? What
does the stadiums rulebook say?
Even just barely along the foul line on either side, the distance to the
outfield seats was 100 meters. However, the highest point of the domes
ceiling was only about 50 meters up. The change from horizontal to
vertical made a difference, but the ceiling was the better target as far as
distance was concerned.
And more importantly
Power hitters (especially foreign ones) hit the dome ceiling fairly
frequently.
So that meansEh? Youre kidding
Thats a homerun. I win.

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Intermission 2

Intermission 2
Its all so grotesque!
Uuh I know these are just image videos, but its still making me sick.
Im less disturbed by the videos themselves than by how many of them
there are.
And that bunny just smiles no matter what.
Who is it that started eating a sandwich in the middle of all this? The
whole place stinks of mayonnaise.
Huh? Is it that time already?
Entertainment made with foreign investments sure is amazing. I cant tell
how much is real and how much is CG. A lot of movies are like that these
days, though.
Maybe its all CG.
Maybe its all real.
When these attractions are officially released, will they really be for all
ages? Theyll have to tone them down a lot, wont they?
This got a lot less exciting when I saw someone I know in one of the
videos. I didnt know he worked here.

(The intermission will soon come to an end. Please continue helping us

with this monitoring. If you have not been filling out your form for any
reason, please begin soon.)
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Attraction 07

Attraction 07: Memory Game

In my opinion, no one truly has nothing.
However, what they have may not be useful in society or help them earn
money. It was nave to think one would be praised for mastering something
no matter what it was.
If you could name every single train station, would that help you in a job?
If you had memorized the phone numbers of dozens of acquaintances,
would that give you a topic to start a conversation with a girl?
This attraction will test your memory.
That was why I was so surprised when the bunny girl said that.
It would finally be useful.
I was sitting in a chair within a small room. A large monitor stood before
me. The bunny girl used a hand to fiddle with the star-shaped earring in her
right ear while using the other hand to operate a remote control.
Okay, watch this footage. But you only have 5 seconds!
The footage was a white screen with animal silhouettes scattered around it.
The silhouettes colors were divided between the types of animals.
My eyes followed the animals as they moved around the screen like a
cheap screensaver and the 5 seconds soon came to an end.
But that was fine.
I remembered it.
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Two red giraffes, three blue rabbits, two yellow crows, seven green
dolphins, and one purple camel.
Wow, said the bunny girl in mock surprise. Okay, time for the question.
Hurry it up.
Give your answer over there!!
I did not have time to be confused.
The chair suddenly rotated 180 degrees. At some point, the wall of the
small room had opened up revealing a long straight passageway. It was
about 50 meters long. An obvious large button like the ones from quiz
games could be seen at the end.
But
While the passageway was straight, several barriers of metal bars were set
up along the way. They had doors on them, but I doubted they would open
if I pushed or pulled on them.
Those doors all had large plates to the side.
If you answer some simple quiz questions, the doors will open. Do your
best to answer them all and then press the button at the end. Then we can
begin the memory game!
Crap
Crap!!
I frantically stood up and ran down the passageway. I could tell there were
five barriers of metal bars in total. I reached the first one.
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The large plate next to it said the following:

Question 1. Please calculate (32 + 45) x 19 / 3 x 0 x (99 - 11) in your
head.
This has nothing to do with the red giraffes or blue rabbits!!
I started sweating when I saw that completely unrelated question. As I
followed the formula with my eyes, I felt like the previous information was
slipping out of my head. Calling those scattered numbers into my mind
was mixing up the numbers of the different types of animals.
I knew it was a trap, but I could not reach the real memory game without
answering this.
I quickly read through the question and tried to think through each number
one at a time, but then I noticed something.
x 0.
Dammit!! The answer is zero!!
I entered that single digit into a calculator like device.
An overly complex and gimmicky mechanism loudly unlocked the door.
Every action took longer than necessary and I could only assume it was
meant to wear away at my memory.
I had four barriers left.
I ran to the next question.

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Question 2. A dog runs at 30 kph, a cat runs at 40 kph, a horse runs at 100
kph, and a hyena runs at 80 kph. After 45 minutes, how much distance will
there be between the animal in 2nd place and the animal in 3rd place?
Now its animals and numbers!!
I gritted my teeth at this question that was nothing short of intentionally
cruel.
If I did not answer it quickly, I felt like I would forget the footage on the
monitor, but losing myself in the question would also blur my memory.
But I had to do it.
I shuddered as I thought about what they would do to me if I failed this
attraction.

I had been a child with no redeeming features.

That should have been enough.
But I suddenly gathered attention for having a better memory than most
people. I enjoyed being praised by others, so I worked hard at it. When I
was able to name all of the stops along a nearby railroad, a new look
appeared in my parents eyes.
It seemed someone had suggested I appear on TV.
They were expecting something of me.
But I knew that my talent was nothing more than remembering the names
of train stations. If something was expected of me in the public eye, their
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expectations would pile up higher and higher until the vaulting box was
piled up too high for me to clear it. I would mess up. I knew I would. I was
heading down the rails that led to destruction. But everyone around me
expected so much from me. That became such a great force that I could not
back out on my own.
And I failed in the end.
When I was lined up with prodigies such as a violinist with perfect pitch, it
was obvious what would happen.
I was meat to be pecked at under the spotlight.
From the moment the camera began rolling, I understand what my true role
was.
I was meant to round out the numbers.
I was a foil.
I was an unimportant character meant to make the hero look cool.

Question 5!! The final barrier!!

I used my finger to directly write on the touch panel and the door unlocked.
I squeezed through the slowly opening door to get to the end of the
passageway as quickly as possible.
I was sick and tired of being lifted up by others where I would inevitably
fall.

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After I did not live up to my parents expectations, they wanted nothing to

do with me. It was not until much later that I learned the word neglect.
At the time, I thought it was the natural response to what I had done.
Thanks to that, I completely ignored my education and did not even
graduate elementary school. I only had enough knowledge to barely
manage addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
But I would live on.
I would manage on my own.
I would not simply rot away in a dark room forgotten by all. I would use
what I had to find my way through this vast world. This was the first step
toward that.
But I needed a guarantee.
Without the support of my family, I could not even rent an apartment
without that. It seemed the bunny girl could help me with that. I did not
know if they would give me a fake identity or use some other person, but if
I cleared this attraction, they would provide me a convenient guarantor.
And so
After slipping past all of the barriers, I slammed my palm against the large
button on the back wall.
A ridiculous sounding electronic tone played.
Okay then, its time for the memory game!! said the bunny girls voice
from a speaker on the wall.
I thought back to the footage I had been shown on the monitor.
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Did I still remember it?

Would I be okay?
I can do this.
I remembered it.
I remembered the types of animals.
I remembered their colors.
I remembered their numbers.
I could answer it all accurately. I would be fine. I could answer any
question she asked. I could manage. I could overcome this. I would win
this attraction, gain the guarantee I needed, and construct the foothold for
my battle against this world.
Time for the question, said the bunny girl.
This question would literally influence my destiny.
What shape was the earring in my ear? And was it in my right ear or my
left hear?
I stopped breathing.
What?
No animals, no types of animals, no colors, no numbers
It has nothing to do with any of it?

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The monitor itself had been a bluff. The bunny girl may have shown me
the footage directly after saying this would be a memory game, but she had
never said anything about the question being related to the footage.
You have 10 seconds.
Why was the bunny girl giving instructions through a speaker rather than
appearing herself?
I understood why painfully well.
My faceno, my entire body became soaked with an unpleasant sweat and
then a deadly announcement reached my ears.
Now, give your answer!!

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Attraction 08

Attraction 08: Washing Away Blood with Blood

The island that acted as our stage seemed to be sinking into the ocean that
appeared to absorb the darkness of the night.
It was known as Corpse Island.
The entire island had been developed as a coal mine a few decades ago, but
it had been entirely abandoned as time went on. The high-rise housing
complexes that were not made to withstand earthquakes had not been
blown up or demolished, so they had grown old and damaged until they
collapsed. The exposed rebar and emergency staircases that ended halfway
up showed just how unsafe the place was.
The place felt more like ruins than a deserted island.
No shouts or screams would reach anyone and the ocean surrounding the
island prevented any escape.
It was perfect for being an attractions stage.
A bunny girl holding a cheap megaphone in one hand spoke with men in
work uniforms on either side of her.
Does everyone have a key on their right wrist?
I heard a light metallic noise. An elastic band similar to those that held
pool locker keys was around my wrist and had a key attached.
The rules are simple. Each individual key is worth 100 million yen. When
the attraction ends at dawn, you will be rewarded according to the number
of keys you have. However, the key you have at the beginning does not

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count. Please acquire someone elses key whether by negotiation, threats,

or force.
It was immediately obvious that the attraction could be easily ended if all
of the participants traded their keys in a circle.
However, the trick was that the more keys we had at the end, the more we
would be paid.
We would earn more if we did not simply trade in a circle. And if you
attacked the person with the most keys, you could jump to the top
regardless of what had happened before that.
And
There was a good chance the six participants gathered on this island were
all in a bad enough situation that 100 million yen would not be enough.
They might need 200 million yen or 110 million.
At any rate, the attraction had been intentionally created such that trading
the keys in a circle would not be enough.
Those watching on from a safe place wanted to see us participants chose of
our own free will to throw away the safe opportunity handed to us. Their
cruel taste was painfully obvious.
But I did not care.
We were all in the same situation.
I had no reason to go easy on them.
Okay, everyone draw one of these lots.
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We each chose one of some crude lots made from chopsticks. As if she was
revealing the prize on a quiz show, the bunny girl then pulled away a large
cloth to reveal something that had been hidden.
These items will help you advance through the attraction. According to
the lots you all drew, Tanaka-san gets two handguns, Tetsuyama-san gets a
flamethrower, Tatsukawa-san gets a stun gun, Hikarikawa-san gets a 15ton mobile crane, Harumura-san gets a military knife, andohh!
Hayashino-san gets the joker prize! Hayashino-sans prize is Karen-chan!!
What?
I frowned. This was partially due to not having any idea what kind of item
that was, but I also did not like having my name called out repeatedly. I did
not want to gather attention this early in the game.
To answer my question, the bunny girl pointed her thumb at the center of
her chest.
Thats me!!
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!! shouted someone. It was the man who had
won the mobile crane. What do you mean he gets one of the organizers on
his side!? Doesnt that give him too much of an advantage!?
This has nothing to do with whether it is an advantage or not. Drawing
lots is unfair by its very nature. And how can you complain after winning
that wonderful mobile crane?
B-but
And this is just your initial equipment. The bunny girl named Karen
grinned. If you dont like it, then swipe someone elses after the attraction
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begins. And that of course means we might attack you in order to steal that
crane.

Every single participant was focused on us. The bunny girl was probably
doing it on purpose.
Even if we would end up killing each other eventually, there was still a
proper order for this.
Okay, everyone. Lets seeThe attraction begins in 20 minutes. Take a
nice stroll through the island until then.
She of course meant we should hide before the battle began.
We all exchanged a glance before the other participants ran off in different
directions. They were likely planning to hide somewhere on the island and
wait for an opportunity.
Left behind, I looked over at the bunny girl.
While the others received deadly weapons like a flamethrower, handguns,
or a giant vehicle, I ended up with a girl.
So what exactly can you do? I asked.
Karen swung her arms and legs around to create some strange stance
before saying, I can defeat a dinosaur with my fists! I can break through a
rocky mountain with my kick!! And my special ability lets me make three
actions in a single turn!
Did I draw the dud lot that means all the other participants will come to
kill me? Maybe I need to attack them by surprise sooner rather than later.
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After noticing I did not seem very excited with the weapon I had won, the
bunny girl began wiggling her hips around.
Okay, okay. Lets talk seriously now. We only have a bit longer until the
attraction begins. Where will we go hide?
This islands structures are divided into three overall areas. The coal mine,
the old city, and the harbor. The entrance to the mine will likely have been
sealed with steel plates when it was closed. All of the warehouses at the
harbor had collapsed, so I dont remember seeing any remaining buildings
there. That presents a problem. Do you know what that is?
We cant escape from the mobile crane.
Exactly.
After all, that was a 15 ton monster. Even if it was safely driven at 50 kph,
a person on the ground could do nothing to oppose it. And it was blatantly
obvious what would happen if you were chased around by it.
That means we need to go to the old city. If we hide on the upper levels of
a building, the crane cant run us over.
We could hide in the coal mine, couldnt we?
Forcing our way into a mineshaft with rusting footing and supports is a
bad idea. If we break through the ground, we could fall over 100 meters
down.
We ended up heading to the old city.
Since this was an abandoned island, there was no illumination. The deep
darkness seemed to press in from every direction. Somewhere in that
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darkness hid attackers wielding deadly weapons. That malice made the
darkness feel even deeper.
A lot of people must have worked in the mine when it was being used
because the housing complexes were packed in unbelievably tight. Only a
few dozen centimeters existed between buildings, so it looked like people
could jump from window to window.
Some buildings had collapsed from the natural deterioration of time and
they had caused a domino effect in some areas. The rubble was even piled
up in the roads, so the supposedly orderly cityscape had become something
like a maze.
Everyday items were strewn about along with the rubble. With all of the
dust covering them, it resembled some strange piece of reclaimed land.
I picked up a bag lying on the ground that had originally had Imada
Construction printed on its surface. I then tossed it toward Karen.
Imada Construction, hm?
Gather some random egg-sized pieces of concrete and put them in that
bag.
What will you use them for?
We have no weapons, so I want to procure some before the attraction
begins.
What came to mind when you thought of projectiles? Guns? Bows? If you
just needed something from the BCE time period, all you needed was a
leather belt and some small stones. If you made a U-shape out of the belt,
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held a stone inside, and swung it around to throw the stone with the
centrifugal force, you had a sling. That could be deadly enough.
However
I had heard that some tribes could kill wild beasts from a distance of over
100 meters, but even half that distance would be difficult for me. It was
night and my targets would be moving. The distance I could throw the
stone and the distance from which I could hit and injure someone were two
different things.
You sure are knowledgeable.
The Swords and Firearms Control Law is well made, but it cant restrict
access to items that are everywhere. You keep the bag. Swinging it around
will work in place of a blackjack.
What is that youre gathering there? Fishing weights?
Just a bit of insurance.
I entered a random crumbling building and headed up to the second floor
so the mobile crane could not attack. I wanted to be low enough that I
could jump to the ground if another participant had me cornered.
What are you doing?
Looking for something to light a fire with.
In this darkness?
Now is my only chance. This is still the preparatory period. Once the
killing starts, the point of light could lead to my death.
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I found a rusted portable stove. The gas cylinder had of course been
removed, but I managed to light a fire by holding the ignition plug against
an old scrap of cloth.
After a few more tricks, my preparations were complete.
You thought this through.
We need to move. I dont want to stay where that fire was.
We jumped from the buildings window into the neighboring buildings
window.
I hid in the darkness with the bunny girl.
It should be starting soon.
Our personal possessions had been confiscated so I had no clock, but I
could estimate based on about how much time I spent on travelling and
preparations.
I stared at Karen in her bunny outfit.
By the way, I forgot to ask. Do I have any guarantee you wont betray me
mid-attraction?
None at all, said Karen nonchalantly. Handguns have a risk of
exploding, a portable crane has a risk of stalling, and I have my own risks.
Do I really need to explain this?

Hm? Are you thinking you should silence me now if I might betray you
later? she said readily. That is one path you could take, but then you
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would really, truly be unarmed. Although if you think you can fight the
others like that, I wont stop you.
The bunny girl was right. Nothing she had said was wrong.
But why was she able to remain so objective at a time like this?
Did she not fear for her life?
What will you do? If you ask me, you should make up your mind quickly.
Ill use you for the time being.
Is that so?
A bright flare shot straight up into the sky in the distance.
That signaled the beginning of the attraction.
The killing game on Corpse Island where we would wash away blood with
blood had begun.

As the attraction began, Karen and I continued to hide on the second floor
of that housing complex.
This was simply because we heard the sounds of an engine from directly
below.
It was that 15-ton mobile crane.
Such sounds were not uncommon in a city, but this was an abandoned
island completely wrapped in darkness. The noise sounded much louder
than normal. It sounded so loud I wondered if someone in the mine would
have been able to hear it.
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What do you think? I asked.

He may be searching. He has been circling around the same area again
and again and again, so he isnt chasing someone.
I did not think Karen was wrong, but we could not remain stuck here.
Lets go.
Oh, already? Rushing things will lead to mistakes. It is still 7 hours until
dawn. Slowly solidifying a foundation may be better than forcing yourself
to-
I dont want to let the other participants do that, I replied quickly in a
quiet voice. Two handguns, a flamethrower, a mobile crone, a stun gun, a
military knife, and you. That is the only information we all have. But that
will change as time goes on. I dont want a situation where it looks like an
enemy only has a knife, but then attacks with a projectile.
The bunny girl had called out everyones names before the attraction began,
but I did not remember who was who. After being thrown into this cruel
attraction, human life was worth less than a small tool.
And so Karen and I began moving.
If we made our way to the ground, the mobile crane would have devoured
us. Fortunately, the housing complexes were only a few dozen centimeters
apart and the glass was missing from most of the windows, so we could
easily jump from building to building.
How do you plan to find the participants who do not have a loud mobile
crane?
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Cant you do something?

If you like, I can show off my mind reading skills!! Oh, or would you
prefer a tarot fortune telling?
I sighed in exasperation.
But I did not have a plan either.
The routes between the old city, the harbor, and the mine are limited, so
the standard method would be to set up a trap along them.
It was a small island, but it would take time to walk across the entire thing.
And the other participants would constantly be on the move, so we could
easily miss each other.
The mobile crane made plenty of noise, so it was no problem. However, it
seemed I would have to kill the others the instant I ran across them or else I
might never see them again.
Or
Instead of searching, can I set up a trap so they come to me?
As soon as that idea entered my head
Freeze.
As soon as we heard that sudden female voice, Karen and I hid behind two
lined up pillars. The woman might have simply been probing out the
situation, but I was not willing to risk my life on that optimistic assumption.
And I knew what weapon the person using that term would have.
The two handguns.
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I heard a footstep.
Someone had entered the room.
Its too late to hide. Just so you know, the enamel material on that
bunnys outfit glitters a lot. Thats probably why the crane has been
driving around this area for so long.
I could not tell what she was after.
If she simply planned on shooting me and taking my key, she should have
fired already. Or did she not want the crane to hear the gunshot?
Karen looked over at me from behind her pillar.
I gave her an order by making a sign with my fingers.
But I was not having her attack. If she did that, she would simply be driven
back by a barrage of bullets. And this woman would hardly let us live in a
situation like this.
Now then.
The real question was whether that creepily smiling bunny girl would
follow my instructions or not.
It was entirely possible she would betray me at this first sign of real danger
and join with the woman and her two handguns.
And then
Okay, okay. I get it, I get it.

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She readily walked out from behind the pillar while pouting her lips like a
child who had been playing video games when her mother asked her to run
an errand.
She handled it so lightly even I was shocked and I was the one who had
ordered her to do it.
Oh? So you can use her like that, mockingly said the woman with the
two handguns.
The bunny girl smiled and said, Its what I was asked to do.
Did you think I wouldnt shoot you because youre with the organizers?
Youll probably shoot. And Ill die if you do.
What is going on in that head of hers?
I had assumed the organizers who had put together this attraction were no
normal people, but this was more than I had expected.
The woman with the two handguns seemed to pick up on how strange this
was.
But
This is just as I expected or maybe even more. You look worthy of
joining forces with, said the woman.

You come out from behind that pillar, too. My gun is a 9mm. If you use
this girl as a shield, I cant hit you.
I did as instructed.
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This was the first time I would speak with one of the other participants.
What are you after? I asked.
The defeat of our strongest enemy.
Id say the most dangerous one here is you with your two handguns.
No, Im not. These arent anti-materiel rifles. Even a thin metal plate can
deflect a 9mm. I want to defeat that mobile crane before it has a chance to
reinforce itself like that.
And once that enemy was gone, nothing could stop her.
The flamethrower also looked quite dangerous, but the ones that ran from a
tank worn on the back had a maximum range of only about 10 meters. Any
more than that would roast the user with the heat. Her handguns could fire
at a target 150 meters away, so she could easily kill him. If she adjusted the
front sight and fired a bit upwards, she could reach him.
But
It was true I would have no hope of winning if we didnt do anything about
that mobile crane. As soon as he thought up a means of reinforcing the
drivers seat with something like a metal plate, he would be unbeatable.
I had actually been hoping these two powerful enemies would end up
killing each other, but it seemed I would be used as a pawn in the process.
What can we do?
I do not have unlimited ammo. Specifically, I have 30 shots between the
two guns. It would be difficult to make sure I shot the driver while running
away from the crane. But, added the woman, I have much better odds if I
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can focus on shooting while the crane pursues a different target. Im no

gunman, so I doubt I can manage it in just a shot or two even then. But I
should be able to manage it before the magazines are empty.
And you want us to lure him out?
I cant ask the other participants. The woman moved one of the gun
barrels between Karen and me. But you are different. The rest of us have
only one life, but you have two. We can use that to our advantage.
I see.
Karen could betray me at any time, so it was unclear if she would follow
my instructions to the very, very end. But if we began to lose to the mobile
crane, I could ditch Karen and escape while the crane was focused on the
woman with the two handguns.
And more importantly, if I refused here, I would be shot. The woman
wanted Karen as a pawn, not me. She would probably try to threaten Karen
after killing me.
I guess I have no choice but to agree.
If that is your decision, then we can do that, said Karen while smiling as
always.
She made no complaint about the plan.
But if were going to lay a trap, well need your help, I told the woman.
Could you be more specific?

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Karen is not a participant, so she doesnt have one of the keys worth 100
million yen. In other words, she doesnt need to be killed. She needs some
other form of bait if the crane is going to chase after her.
I told you to be more specific, said the woman while waving a handgun.
That seemed to be the source of her absolute confidence, but it was what I
was after.
Give Karen a handgun. That is my condition.
Are you serious?
You said I have two lives, right? Well, unlike the other participants, you
have two weapons. Even if you give up one, you will still have a decent
advantage over everyone else.
And the handguns were the most powerful weapon. If the crane spotted
Karen with it, he might try to eliminate the threat or acquire the weapon,
but either way he would not be able to ignore it.
The woman stared cautiously at Karen and me.
Isnt it possible a shootout will begin as soon as I hand over the gun?
Then take out the ammo before handing it over. We just need bait for the
crane. The guy in the drivers seat wont be able to tell if its loaded or not.
Understood. Dont move.
She would be the only one with a loaded gun.
The woman agreed because she would retain her advantage.
But
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(Karen.)
Whether it was a revolver or a semi-auto, all handguns had a common
factor when it came to removing all of the ammunition. Do you know what
that is?
The answer is simple.
Doing so required the use of both hands.
(Attack on my signal. Ill take the right; you take the left.)
Sudden footsteps reverberated through the room.
Eh? Ah
The dumbfounded woman frantically tried to hold up her gun, but she was
holding the one with no ammunition. The usable one was in its holster. The
slight hesitation due to her sudden decision and her indecision over
whether to target the enemy to the right or left created an even greater lag.
That lag allowed us to overcome the deadly speed of a handgun that could
kill with a single movement of the index finger.
Karen was holding a bag filled with egg-sized pieces of concrete.
The makeshift blackjack made a great noise as it split open the womans
skull.

I grabbed the handguns from the pool of blood and tossed one to Karen.

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I had read in a book somewhere that humans found a sense of security in

symmetry and found it beautiful. Whether it had anything to do with that or
not, a woman with the side of her head smashed in was not a pretty sight.
Karen used the bag of concrete to wipe the blood off of the gun.
Oh, my. We have already gotten the best weapons. Does that mean were
the strongest?
We cant just sit around celebrating. If the others find out two people have
guns, they will all become our enemy. I dont want them deciding the
danger is worth teaming up against us.
Now that we have the guns, what will you do with the sling?
The more options, the better. If they think this is our only weapon, they
might let their guard down.
What is our next target? asked Karen.
I turned on my handguns safety and replied, The flamethrower.
Oh? Not the crane?
That is our greatest enemy, but Im not sure two handguns are enough. A
flamethrower would make it a lot easier. The crane runs on gasoline after
all.
When it came down to simply killing people, the flamethrower would be
the top ranked weapon. I did not want to take it on with nothing but a metal
pipe or a makeshift sling. But we had handguns now. As long as we had
them, we could easily kill the man with the flamethrower.

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But the flamethrower has a range of 10 meters, right? If the crane is

driving at full speed, wont it be too late by the time it is within range?
Im not going to use it like that, I said while focusing on the engine
noises coming from outside the window. Its tank is filled with fuel, so we
can use it like a bomb by setting it up on the ground. If we lure the crane in,
we can watch it explode from a safe distance.

We had no hint to go on. We took the time to search around the island and
ran into the man with the flamethrower on the mountain near the mine.
I had thought we could finish him off with a bullet or two, but we used a
lot more ammo than I had expected. We may have focused too much on
staying at a distance for safety.
I have two bullets left.
I have only one!
The bunny girl named Karen pulled her handguns slide to eject the final
bullet in the chamber and tossed it to me.
We had originally had 30 shots between us, so it was a regretful amount of
waste.
We need to retrieve the flamethrower from the corpse right away. People
could hear those gunshots all across the island.
How about we turn it on the other participants?
We need the tank as full as possible to make sure we take out the crane in
the explosion.
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Also, I had no intention of using the flamethrower without special

equipment like a firefighters uniform. A change in the wind could easily
leave me with serious burns. Even if the flames did not touch me directly,
the hot wind could fuse my clothes to my skin.
Will we wait for the crane here?
An open space is bad for setting the trap. And it has no elevated location
to watch on safely. It would be best to set the trap in the old city.
I already had a handgun and the sling, so I gave the flamethrowers tank to
Karen.

We entered the old city.

The easiest spot to set a trap was an entrance to the city. Buildings had
been built up in such great concentration in such a small area, so the points
from which the mobile crane could enter or exit were limited.
It may be cracked, but this is asphalt. You cant dig a hole to bury it.
We just need to pile up some concrete fragments the crane can crush in its
path. If we hide the flamethrower tank inside, itll work as a landmine.
How are you going to make it explode?
By having the flamethrowers ignition plug
I trailed off as a brilliant light stabbed into my eyes.
Our stage was an abandoned island with no electricity or running water.
There was only one possibility.
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The crane!! shouted Karen.

Dont try to set it up now! Take the tank with you!!
This was one of the areas the crane could easily pass through, so it could of
course set a trap for us. Chased by the sounds of the engine, Karen and I
leaped into a nearby building.
The crane smashed into the entrance after us.
The front entrances glass had already been broken, but now the entire door
was smashed to pieces. Huge fragments flew into the building. I frantically
rolled further inside. The mobile cranes bumper continued to approach
while dragging the destroyed interior of the building with it. It looked like
a giant hammer.
Everything shot towards us like a flood.
But then a single exception presented itself. A thick square pillar did not
break. Several dozen pieces of rebar bent and stuck out, but the entire pillar
did not snap. It stopped that 15 ton mass.
!
I immediately held up my handgun, but the crane backed up and left the
building so quickly its tires screeched.
Hurry! Upstairs!! shouted Karen from the emergency staircase while
holding the flamethrower tank.
She was right that I would be in trouble if the crane charged in again. I did
not want to be around when that happened.

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We both ran up the emergency staircase and arrived on the buildings

second floor.
Still holding the tank, Karen said, If he is still focused on crashing into the
building, isnt this our chance? If we throw the tank from a window, we
might be able to drop it right on top of the crane.
NoWait. What is that sound?
The mobile cranes engine was loud enough to hear even outside the old
city, but the sound had changed.
I looked over at the window without thinking.
I had somewhat relaxed because the crane could not crash into the second
floor.
But then something unexpected happened.
Something huge mercilessly crashed through one of the external walls on
the second floor.
I fell over after being hit by some of the rubble, but I think it was more the
surprise from the sudden noise that knocked me over. Karen and I crawled
along the floor to frantically move away from the window (or rather, the
spot where it had been a moment before).
A tremendous amount of dust limited our vision.
Oh, my!! Would you look at that.
Hes swinging something around with the cranes wire? Has he strapped
together steel frames to use in place of a wrecking ball?
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I felt like the entire floor had tilted. It was not often that a building made of
reinforced concrete felt so unreliable.
I heard the sound of something roaring through the air.
The second impact was coming.
I looked around in hopes of finding a way of jumping to the neighboring
building. But I did not make it in time. I did not have the guts to stand up
in this situation. With a great shock, some large object broke through the
wall and flew into the building. If that so much as grazed a human, he
would be smashed.
Cracks ran through the ceiling and a piece larger than a tatami mat fell
down.
Um
What?
If the crane is swinging something around, doesnt that mean its center of
gravity is higher than normal? A crane needs to use a special leg to fortify
its position when extending its arm. That means the crane cannot move
right now. Doesnt that mean we can more safely approach it right now?
If we did nothing, the third impact would soon arrive.
At this rate, even a normal building would be utterly destroyed. And this
was one that had been abandoned for decades and had dubious earthquake
resistance.

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Standing up and running along would be easy enough, but anyone who was
willing to do so while everything was shaking so much had to have a death
wish.
If only there was some way to finish off the man controlling the crane
without having to move.
I just had a horrible idea.
What is it?
After that wrecking ball made up of pieces of metal framework hits the
building, how long do you think it takes to pull it out from the rubble?
WellAbout 10 seconds I think, but what can we do in 10 seconds? That
isnt enough time to get up and jump out the window, much less head
downstairs.
We attach the flamethrower tank to the wrecking ball. It has to pass right
by the main body of the crane while swinging, so we just have to detonate
it at that exact moment.
Are you serious?
Tying it on with rope would take too long, but 10 seconds should be
enough to attach something like a hook onto a wire.
With that makeshift wrecking ball making a mess of the place, bent pieces
of rebar that could be used as a hook were lying everywhere. With a bit of
preparation, I would be able to make something to attach the tank.
Approaching that seems crazy to me, said Karen.
This is the same as my first decision.
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?
If I had given into those two handguns and handed you over, I would have
ended up cornered somewhere. Insisting on safety will get me nowhere. In
this attraction at least, I need to take on some risk if I want to win.
The third impact was coming.
If it so much as grazed me, I would be smashed into a pile of meat.
But this was my last and greatest chance.

A burnt smell and orange flames assaulted the senses.

In reality, this attraction that used real human lives did not progress like
scripted entertainment. In other words, it was not structured such that each
consecutive enemy was more powerful than the last.
In my opinion, my most powerful enemy had been the first woman with
the two handguns.
And with the two handguns, the flamethrower, and the mobile crane
defeated, I had already eliminated the most obviously dangerous enemies.
That just left the military knife and the stun gun.
They simply could not compare to the previous enemies.
That meant the situation had reversed. With the enemies more powerful
than myself defeated, it was my turn to hunt the others down and kill them.

This didnt turn out right at all! I groaned.

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Gunshots rang out. But they were not being fired by us. They were likely
audible everywhere on the island. Naturally, this was a new turn of events.
I half-leaped behind the rubble of a crumbling warehouse at the harbor to
hide alongside the bunny girl.
I heard a noise.
It had come from a mans corpse rolling to a stop right next to me.
He held a military knife in one hand, but he remained so motionless that he
looked frozen.
That just leaves the stun gun. Or did the last participant have the stun
guns owner hold the knife before killing him?
Hayashino-san Did you forget the introduction back at the beginning?
A girl had the stun gun.
But it was impossible for a self-defense item like that to blow a hole in a
human body.
The only possibility I could think of was
Dammit. Was there an old hunting weapon left behind in the rubble or
one of the buildings?
Seems that way. If the powder grew damp, it would have been useless,
but it can keep for decades as long as it does not touch the outside air.
I could not say this was a wise move on my enemys part. I had no way of
knowing if this gun truly had been sitting on this island for decades or if it
was a new one set up by the organizers. However, using an old gun that
had been thrown out like an old rusted pipe was suicide.
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Nevertheless, the enemy had acquired a powerful weapon by taking that

risk that was akin to walking barefoot across a minefield.
The bunny girl leaned towards me and said, From the look of that body,
this is a rifle and not a shotgun.
I doubt she can hit a very distant target without a scope, but we only have
three shots. If we dont finish her off right away, the gunshots will tell her
where we are.
What about that sling made from a belt? There are more small stones than
we could ever need here.
Its all over if were shot while swinging it around to build up centrifugal
force. And it was only ever meant as a diversion. It isnt enough to kill in a
single strike.
We had no idea how many bullets the enemy had, but if she had a full
complement, we were at an overwhelming disadvantage.
Searching for a new weapon would require we carelessly travel through an
open area. Yet staying in one place would allow the enemy to widely circle
around and target us with the rifle while out of range of our attacks.
I could hear the rifle being fired intermittently and the nearby ground and
rubble was worn away bit by bit. She was searching for us rather than
actually trying to kill us. But that would not last long. And her ability to do
that showed she had plenty of ammunition. If she figured out how little we
had, she would force her way in.
So were cornered.
I breathed in and then out while hiding behind the rubble.
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I asked the bunny girl, This attractions prize is determined by the number
of keys acquired rather than the number of people killed, right?
Yes, and?
Its a long shot, but Im going to take a gamble based on that.

An explosive noise and a cloud of dust scattered throughout the dark

harbor.
Cough.
Tatsukawa Shouko, the girl who had drawn the lot for the stun gun and
was now using a hunting rifle she had found in the city area, coughed
lightly after breathing in some of the dust that flowed her way.
She had been intermittently firing at areas her enemy might be in the hopes
of driving them into a panic, but something must have ignited because the
rubble had suddenly exploded.
Cough, cough. What was that? Did I shoot the fuel tank of a fishing boat?
And then
As Tatsukawa peered cautiously through the rifles sight, she spotted a
mans leg lying next to the flaming rubble.
Did that blow him up?
Just to be sure, she fired two or three more shots in that direction but
received no response. She doubted he was still hiding amid that burning
rubble.
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So did I do it? Oh, there it is, there it is.

She spotted a mans arm in a gap in the rubble. She had no idea what had
happened to the rest of the body. Just the arm was stuck there.
And a single key was visible on the elastic band on the wrist.
And several other keys came jangling from the clenched fingers.
Hed collected a lot of these. Looks like waiting until the very end to
make my move was the right decision.
Two handguns, a mobile crane, and a flamethrower.
While the others were winning powerful weapon after powerful weapon,
Tatsukawa had won a stun gun. The other participants had likely looked on
her with pity.
But she had not seen it that way.
The rules never said she needed to fight with only her initial equipment.
She had guessed the other participants would hunt down those with the
most threatening weapons first and leave the easy jobs until later. And so
Tatsukawa was off their radar. She had weaved through the gaps in the city
and acquired a new powerful weapon.
She doubted she would have been able to do that if she had won a powerful
weapon during the drawing.
Everyone would have focused their attacks on her, preventing her from
moving around freely.

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One, two, three Oh, this is everyones! What an idiot. He had collected
so many and yet he let me steal them all in the end.
She still had a fair bit of time until the time limit at dawn.
But she had all the keys and all the other participants were dead.
There was no real reason for the attraction to continue.
Lets see. He was given that bunny girl as a weapon, but is she dead too?
Hey! Whos running this thing!?
Coming.
Like a family restaurant waitress arriving to take her order, the bunny
poked her head out from where she had been hiding nearby.
Tatsukawa Shouko was cautious, but
Oh? Didnt you call for me?
Hm? Oh, I get it. Your owner lost the gamble, so you dont belong to
anyone now. Tatsukawa lightly waved the mans arm before tossing it
aside. Anyway, I have all the keys. Ive won it all. Theres no point in
continuing, so count the keys and pay me already.
Hmm. But the time limit is not until dawn.
I dont want to stay in this dusty place a second longer than necessary.
Im impressed you were willing to use that old hunting rifle. Werent you
afraid it would explode and blow your face off?
Ugeh. That can happen!?

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Either due to a sense of superiority over defeating everyone else or due to a

fear of losing everything by blowing herself up in the very end, Tatsukawa
hurriedly threw the hunting rifle to the ground.
The bunny girl continued smiling and said, Are you sure you want me to
add up your winnings with those?
Just get it over with.
Understood.
The bunny girl checked over each of the metal keys attached to the elastic
band Tatsukawa held out.
Still smiling, she said, Um, you have 0 valid keys according to the rules.
As such, you will receive no reward.
For an instant, Tatsukawa Shouko did not understand what she had just
been told.
What!? Butthat cant be true! I have all the keys!!
Well, ysee, Tatsukawa-san. As explained at the beginning, the key you
started with does not count toward your reward.
Im not talking about that one! What about the ones you have there!?
Oh, these? The bunny girl tossed the keys to the ground like trash.
These are fakes created by making a mold of a real key and pouring
melted lead inside. Fishing weights were easy enough to find and lead is
well known for having a low melting point.
Wh-wha?
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Oh, that blown-off arm? That belongs to the knife man you shot. He even
had the knife with him, so it wasnt too hard to set up.
Tatsukawa Shoukos mind went blank, but then a thought came to her.
Tatsukawa had called for the bunny girl to end the attraction because she
had thought everyone else was dead and she had all the keys. The original
limit had been dawn, so if she still had not found all of the real keys
It isnt over, you idiot, said a male voice to the side.
But before Tatsukawa could turn around, Hayashino, who held the real
keys, unhesitatingly pulled the trigger of his handgun loaded with the three
remaining bullets.
Exactly three gunshots rang out and Tatsukawa collapsed to the side.

And so everything really did come to an end this time.

Brilliant light covered the entire island, making it seem the darkness from
before had never been there. It seemed countless spotlights of the type used
in theatres had been installed. The light had no warmth, but the brightness
seemed to restore reality like a film projector room after the movie had
ended.
A large number of men and women in work uniforms appeared from
somewhere.
The bunny girl smiled and spoke to me.
Well done.
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I was just lucky. If she had seen through the lead keys I made as insurance,
if she had seen through the severed arm, if the lead keys had melted in that
fire, or if she had been more cautious and kept the hunting rifle, I would
have been done for. You cant say I had everything under control.
That isnt what I meant.
I knew what she was trying to say.
Today, I had definitively decided to kill someone myself.
No matter how much I had succeeded here, I could never return to where I
used to be.
You win a full 500 million yen. How would you like to be paid?
In cash.
A diamond would take up less space.
I said in cash.
Without ever dropping the smile, the bunny girl snapped her fingers. The
surrounding people in work uniforms began contacting someone.
By the way, may I ask what you need this 500 million for?
Its nothing special, I spat out. I just need a foothold to begin a bit of
revenge. Revenge against someone like you.
Did you see that, Imada?
Im no longer just all talk. I can actually kill people.
Imada Construction was one of the largest underworld general contractors
that helped construct the stages for this sort of attraction, but if I could play
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the part of someone with a fair bit of wealth, I could likely make an
appearance at their salon.

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Attraction 09

Attraction 09: Killing Someone by Solving a Mystery Not

Involving a Murder
I had to win.[1]
I had tried every available option. I had lost everything: my money, my
social standing, and all the many people I had called friends. Everyone had
left me. But I had still been unable to find the precious person who had
gone missing. And so I had gotten the help of an organization. They had
confidently said they could do it. It had almost seemed they must have had
something to do with his disappearance, but that was fine. Anything was
fine as long as I was able to make my way closer to him.
And so I read through the rules of the attraction.

First, register a two digit number in this machine.

Afterwards, both participants shall try to search out the others number.
That is all this attraction is.

I used my index finger to enter a number into a panel with the numbers 0 to
9 lined up like on a calculator. I was entrusting my fate to this number.
I could not see my opponents face.
I had no idea what bait my opponent had been lured here with.

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It was a bit like we were facing each other across a table, but a thick wall
covered everything but our hands much like the reception area at a bank or
post office. The main difference from those places was that this wall was
solid instead of transparent.
What a pain.
In a one-on-one game, it had to come down to psychological warfare. For
that reason, not being able to see my opponents expression or eye
movements was a disadvantage.
Several cards lay on the table.
A quick count numbered them at about 20 and they all had questions on
them.
Divisible by 1.
Divisible by 2.
Divisible by 3.
Divisible by 4.
Divisible by 5.
Divisible by 6.
Divisible by 7.
Divisible by 8.
Divisible by 9.
Even.
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Larger than 50.

The sum of Digit 1 and Digit 2 is larger than 15.
The product of Digit 1 and Digit 2 is larger than 25.
The difference of Digit 1 and Digit 2 is negative.
The quotient of Digit 1 and Digit 2 is a whole number.
Digit 1 and Digit 2 are more than 5 apart.
Reversing Digit 1 and Digit 2 produces a larger number.
The square of the number is odd.
The square of the number is over 2000.
Thrice the number is over 50.
I knew there were methods of finding out what number someone had
thought of, but I did not know the trick to them. Was it possible with just
these cards or were the questions limited to ensure I had to guess?
The smiling bunny girl who was circling around the table while ignoring
the partition said, When you ask a question, slide the question card
through the slit at the bottom of the partition. You must give an accurate
answer to the question. We will be double-checking for you, so no cheating,
okay?
We were forbidden to talk outside of the bare minimum needed to answer
the questions.
It was still possible there was a way of reading my opponents mental state
from how they gave their answer, though.
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The bunny girl then added, Once one player uses a card, neither player
may use it. In other words, if one of you plays even, neither of you can
play even after that.

You will take turns using cards. Once you know your opponents number,
press this button. The one who answers first is the winner, but you
automatically lose if you give an incorrect number. That means you will be
killed, so be careful.
One question.
Yes, what is it?
If we take turns, wont the player who goes first have an advantage? They
get the first shot at the cards that cant be used again and they get the
information needed to find the number sooner.
But using a combo of multiple cards can be used to determine the number.
The second player may have the most useful cards sealed, but they have
the chance of determining their opponents combo and sealing it. And
about the ultimate answer, we will also give the second player an
opportunity to answer if the first player answers correctly. If you are both
correct, the round ends in a draw. You will then enter a new number and
begin the second round.

The bunny girl casually performed a coin toss to determine the playing
order.
Okay, Saiki-san. You go first!
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Attraction 09

I was first.
I glanced over the cards lined up on the table. At first, it seemed all the
different options were convenient, but that was not the case. There were a
few obvious trap cards that gave the same information as another card.
Divisible by 2.
Even.
The square of the number is odd.
Those three all meant the same thing.
Divisible by 2.
Divisible by 4.
Divisible by 6.
Divisible by 8.
Those four
Divisible by 3.
Divisible by 6.
Divisible by 9.
and those three would be best used when the number was small. Of
course, they could be used in other ways depending on the situation.
But there was one question I needed to ask first.
One important question card would narrow down a lot of numbers from the
possibilities for the random 2 digit number.
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And
As a preemptive strike, I wanted to keep my opponent from using that card.
This is the one, I muttered as I slipped the card through the slit in the
partition to ask my opponent their first question.
The card said, Larger than 50.
The answer I received was, No.
That meant my opponents number was less than 50.
I knew exactly which card I wanted to use next, but
A card slid toward me through the slit.
I read it.
Even.
No.
So thats what youre going for, hm? How nave.
As previously explained, a few cards explained the same thing in different
words.
I grabbed one of those and pushed it through the slit.
Divisible by 2.
Yes.
With that, I had narrowed down the 100 possibilities to about a quarter of
that.
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In other words
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42,
44, 46, or 48.
But accurately narrowing down the candidates from here on would be
difficult.
As I brought that string of numbers to mind, a card slid toward me from the
other side of the table.
Divisible by 3.
? No, but
I frowned at that question card, but still answered.
He just asked me if it was even or odd, so why?
Ah!?
Saiki-san, please do not speak outside of answering the questions.
The bunny girl lightly rebuked me, but I had other things to worry about.
Not good.
Not good!!
I had answered no to if it was even and no to if it was divisible by 3.
What that told my opponent was obvious.
I had revealed that my number was a fairly special example of an odd
number.

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Attraction 09

If he asked if it was divisible by 5 and if it was divisible by 7, he would

narrow it down quite a bit. Even if I answered no both times, he would find
out I had chosen an extremely special number that was not divisible by any
whole number!
Should I use up either divisible by 5 or divisible by 7 to seal his
combo?
But neither of those cards would help me determine what number my
opponent had chosen. I would waste a turn. The first person to answer
correctly won, so it was best to find my opponents number with as few
question cards as possible.
Saiki-san? Hurry, hurry.
Kh.
Should I go the high risk, high return route by finding his number as
quickly as possible?
Or should I go the low risk, low return route by protecting my number?
After thinking for a bit, I slid a card through the slit.
Divisible by 5.
Yes.
Huh?
I had been too afraid to gamble and decided to waste a turn, but that had
actually narrowed it down quite a bit.
After all, the only possible numbers left were
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10, 20, 30, and 40.

Those were the only four.
In that case, I could determine his number with two cards that each
narrowed those four down by half.
But what would my opponent do in response?
After being this cornered, he would likely use one of the really good
question cards I was thinking of. But
Divisible by 7.
Eh?
I was caught off guard.
Buteh?
It was true that was one strategy, but
Saiki-san, please give your answer.
N-no.
I answered honestly, but I was dissatisfied.
I could only think my opponents strategy was to determine my number as
quickly as possible to end the game before his unfavorable situation could
work against him.
But could he risk his life on that?
I could end this game by determining his number out of four options.
Normally, he would be working to seal any possible combos of mine.
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I could not tell what my opponent was thinking.

I felt very uneasy. I was no longer sure the situation was developing as
nicely as I thought it was.
I glanced over the cards I had left and sent the one I needed through the slit.
The question was
Divisible by 4.
Yes.
That left only 20 or 40 as options for my opponents number.
But
He had answered almost immediately. He had not hesitated. And the next
card slid towards me was
The product of Digit 1 and Digit 2 is larger than 25.
Hes still going on the attack!?
That did not seem to narrow it down quite as much as divisible by 5 or
divisible by 7, so his strategy seemed to be showing some cracks. And
yet he had still shown no sign of sealing my combo.
No.
I answered, but doubt spiraled around within me.
What was going on?
Was my opponent just an idiot who was not thinking at all? Or was he
leading me with the thought that I would win?
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In other words
Did I not have my opponent as cornered as I thought I did?
Was it possible I was being led to an incorrect answer?
My fingertips trembled.
Even so, I grabbed a card and sent it through the slit.
Divisible by 8.
Yes.
It was over.
The answer was 40.
That had to be the answer, but something was still bothering me. What was
it? I could think of nothing wrong about my calculations or strategy. I had
been led to the correct answer. But I still had a strange uneasiness in my
chest.
And it came from my opponents lack of hesitation.
It could of course be a bluff, but what point would that serve? Playing even
a single card to seal my combo would have forced me to play more cards to
find this answer.
Wait.
Wait a second.
Could it be?
I thought back over the cards I had played up to that point.
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Larger than 50.

The answer had been no.
Divisible by 2.
The answer had been yes.
Divisible by 5.
The answer had been yes.
Divisible by 4.
The answer had been yes.
Divisible by 8.
The answer had been yes.
Nothing seemed strange at first glance, but the sequence of divisible by X
bothered me. It was divisible by 2, 4, 5, and 8. It was divisible by
everything I had asked. A number like that was not too common. More
importantly, I doubted someone would normally risk their life on a number
like that.
Of the divided by series from 1 to 9, the number I had chosen was only
divisible by 1.
So there was more to this.
What was the identity of this troubling feeling I had? What was the great
trap my opponent had laid?
Was there an answer other than 40?
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If he had chosen his number to trap someone calculating out the number
via the normal method, there was only one option.
Ive got it!!
I slammed my palm down on the button equipped on the table and a cheap
electronic tone sounded.
The bunny girl asked, Okay, Saiki-san. What number did your opponent
choose!?
This would end it.
I had to choose one of two options.
In the off chance that my opponent had given this no thought at all, I was
throwing away the correct answer and running to my own destruction.
But I seriously doubted that was the case.
If he did not have some kind of plan, he would not have showed so little
hesitation in his answers.
In that case
The number chosen by this person I had never seen was
Zero!!

Notes
1. The narrator uses a feminine first person pronoun.

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Intermission 3

Intermission 3
My eyes are bleary.
How long has it been since we started?
All these corpses have numbed my heart.
Eh? I thought the bunny was in there to counteract that?
Then they should have put in a hot male bar tender, too. They need gender
equality in sex appeal!!
But youre a guy.
So?
Anyway, is that bunny outfit really her work uniform? Isnt that going too
far?
Its like a display of defiance against this world where even family
restaurant uniforms are having all the sexual elements removed. I love it.
Does that mean we would have to wear that too if we leveled up from
unofficial employees to official ones?
It cant be helped. Im willing to prove Im a man by showing off some
skin. After all, its so hard to find a job these days. It cant be helped!!
You dont have to look so happy about it! Is everyone here a pervert!?

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Intermission 3

(The intermission will soon come to an end. Please continue helping us

with this monitoring. If you have not been filling out your form for any
reason, please begin soon.)

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Attraction 10

Attraction 10: Earn 200,000 Yen with 1 Millimeter

The attraction had 5 participants.
But even that many seemed an extraordinary number of people to gather in
such an insane place.
Okay, this here is a guillotine. Im sure you have all heard that name
before.
The room looked like it could exist in any multi-tenant building.
That rectangular box had all furniture and office equipment removed.
Instead, two very out of place objects could be seen in the center of the
room.
The first was the representative example of a medieval execution tool, the
guillotine.
The second was a smiling bunny girl giving the explanation.
Those being executed are restrained in this. You see the three holes below
the giant blade? The neck and wrists go in there. The bunny girl raised her
index finger. This blade weighs 170 kilograms. The blade is usually
sloped to more efficiently cut off a human head, but this attraction requires
the blade to be flat. Sorry about that. Some models hold the blade up with a
rope that is cut to drop the blade and some models hold the blade up with a
chain and drop it by operating the gear and attachments. This is the latter.
No one said anything.
A strange atmosphere enveloped the room.

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This location seemed soaked in a sense that it did not matter if humans
lived or died.
It was possible the headquarters of a cult would be filled with the same
atmosphere.
Now I will explain the rules of the attraction. But dont worry, its
nothing difficult. One at a time, the participants will each have their neck
and wrists restrained within the guillotine. You will then be given a switch
to hold in your right hand and a switch to hold in your left hand.
She showed us a red switch and a blue switch with cords attached.
It looked like we would operate them with our thumbs.
The red switch drops the guillotines blade and the blue switch stops the
blade. We would like you all to stop the blade just before it decapitates you.
You will be awarded with money based on how far the guillotine made it.
However, the bunny girl raised her index finger again, the reference
point for your prize is not the highest point where the guillotine starts. It is
the very center point. About a meter high is the zero point. You will be
paid if the blade falls further than that, but you will need to pay us if it does
not make it that far.
That meant we would only be given anything in the lower meter.
Your prize will be calculated based on one millimeter being worth 200
thousand yen. If you truly stop it at the very last instant, you will earn 200
million.
An odd atmosphere floated around the five of us.
We needed 200 million.
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And we could not trust an empty hope like betting on winning the lottery.
Our lives would truly be over if we did not acquire that much money right
away. Only people like that would gather in a place like this.
The bunny girl pulled out some makeshift lots created from chopsticks like
we were playing the king game in a karaoke box.
This would decide my fate.
The attraction was beginning.
This was all or nothing.
We could not practice and we could not redo this, so we needed to gather
as much information as possible beforehand to find a means of ensuring
victory.
The person who went first had an overwhelming disadvantage. I
desperately wanted one of the other participants to take on that role so they
could test the balance of the attraction, but the other four would be thinking
the same thing.
The first step toward either life or death would be decided by these horribly
carelessly-made lots.
Lot 1 was drawn by a small old man with glasses.
Lot 2 was drawn by a college-aged girl wearing a kimono.
Lot 3 was drawn by a middle-aged man who was wearing a suit but did not
look like a salaryman.
Lot 4 was drawn by me.
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Lot 5 was drawn by a high-school aged boy wearing sportswear.

Okay, Yamai-san. You are up first. Come on up. Come on up.
So the old man is the top batter.
I felt sorry for him, but I did not have time for sympathy. The time had
come to keep my eyes open wide. I needed to gather as much information
as possible. What I wanted to know most was the timing or lag between
pressing the buttons and the guillotine starting or stopping.
I needed to gather all the information I needed before it was my turn.
It was obvious what would happen to my head if I did not.

Urged on by the bunny girl, the nervous-looking old man was placed
within the execution device. The tool was meant to kill criminals, so it
provided no dignity whatsoever. With his head and arms held in place, the
man was left in a crawling position like a dog.
The bespectacled old man was handed the two buttons.
It was about to begin.
This attraction that used a device designed to kill to toy with peoples lives
and dignity was about to begin.
You can choose whatever timing you like, but I will drop the blade if you
do not begin within three minutes. If you are not confident in your ability,
it might be better to leave it up to me.
There was no way that was true.
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I did not know how fast the guillotine fell, but not knowing the exact
timing with which it would fall was a definite disadvantage. That time lag
could be the difference between life and death.
With his body restrained, the old man moved only his eyeballs around in a
desperate attempt to look around the area.
He may have wanted any last hint he could find.
He may have wanted someone to give him some advice.
Or
He may have wanted to give a human complaint that this was wrong
despite having come this far.

Given the angle of his neck, I doubted the old man could see my face as I
looked down on him, but I shook my head regardless.
If he had not fallen as low as he could fall, he would not have been invited
to this attraction. Nor would he have agreed to come.
He needed to prepare himself.
He needed to remember that he had searched in every single direction and
not found a single opportunity. If he did not want to be sent straight back to
that dead end, he had to win here.
And
I heard a long, drawn-out sound like air leaking from a balloon.
I soon realized it was the sound of the old man breathing out long and slow.
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And in the next instant

The first round began and the giant blade fell.
Everyone watching on must have felt like electricity was running through
them.
I thought my heart had stopped.
I had to observe.
I had to gather information.
That work was directly linked to my own survival, yet all of it left my
mind completely in that moment.
The 170 kilogram blade held up by a long chain and gear fell vertically. It
was a simple phenomenon, yet it held tremendous weight due to its deadly
purpose.
In reality, the nightmare could only have lasted for a second or maybe
slightly longer.
The bunny girl smiled and said, Yamai-san is out!
An unpleasant liquid dripped down below the guillotine.
But it was not fresh blood.
It was tears. It was sweat. It was snot. Every liquid that could flow from a
face was flowing out as the old man trembled. All the dignity provided by
his age was gone.
The problem was the location of the guillotine blade.

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The bunny girl exaggeratedly stared at the measurement markings on the

guillotines column.
You came in at only 72.2 cm. Not enough! I went to such effort to explain
that 1 meter was the zero mark, but you didnt even get close!! You had
two meters total, but you did not even make it halfway!!
She was rubbing salt in the wound.
The bunny girl snapped her fingers and some men in work uniforms
entered from outside the room. They removed the old man from the
guillotine in order to carry him somewhere else.
And that means Yamai-san must receive a penalty! He will receive a debt
equal to the negative amount of height. Lets see, 1 millimeter is 200
thousand yen, so how much would that be?
Ghkh
Hey, Yamai-san. I have no idea what led you to this final attraction, but
maybe you would have been happier if you had lost your head.
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhh!!
The old man gave a bestial cry, but the men in work uniforms calmly held
his arms and legs and speedily removed him.
He had saved his life.
But I doubted there was any hope left for that old man.
He had lost any chance of turning his life around.
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That was the type of failure we gained if we failed to let the guillotine drop.
Okay, time for round #2. Ise-san, come on up.
The woman in the kimonos shoulders jumped in shock, but she knew
there was no escape. In order to grasp the sole chance remaining for her,
she needed to get on the ground as instructed so she could be restrained
within the guillotine.
I was #4, but my turn would come up quite soon at this pace.
I wanted to gather as much useful information as I could. I wanted a
surefire method of stopping the guillotine at the last possible second.
And then
(Have you caught on yet?) The sportswear-wearing boy whispered that
in my ear while watching the attraction with his arms crossed. (Have you
caught on to the main issue with this attraction?)
(The chain does not move as smoothly as I thought. And yet making the
brakes work more ambiguously would work up our fear more.)
(They probably want to make that as fair as possible. It makes it feel like
theyre looking down on us mockingly.)
(Even though the bunny girl has a system to freely drop the blade if the
participant takes too long?)
(What if they can remotely turn off the brakes if it looks like someone is
going to make it? I would be more worried about the blue button.)
I did not think they would do that. Or maybe I just did not want to believe
they would.
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The little bit of observation I had done was enough to tell me that. They
wanted to enjoy watching people struggle futilely, so they would not set it
up so we all quickly died one after another.
Still, I decided to have the bunny girl step away from the button during my
attempt.
(I think another issue is more important.)
(Another issue?)
(Youll figure it out soon enough. Its quite a cruel trick given the
attractions rules.)
My focus had turned to the boy in the sportswear.
That was why I did not notice when the second round began.
I heard a different sound than before. It sounded like something soft being
sliced through.
My consciousness was dyed in red.
I could not grasp the source of the iron smell. I could not understand why
my clothes felt wet. I could not figure out how it was possible the body of
the kimono-wearing woman had slid to the ground despite her being
restrained in the guillotine.
I saw a head.
I saw two hands.
They were lying in a dark red puddle.
Eh? Ah?
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I saw them, I looked at them, and I stared at them.

Finally, the result of the attractions second round entered my head.
Failure.
Killing.
Death.
Those simple words floated up in my mind, but they still did not seem to
match the scene before my eyes.
Someone had died.
They had been decapitated.
And yet I had not heard a scream. The head had been sliced from the body
as simply as someone removing the changeable head of a doll. Was that all
there was to human life? Was it something lost so easily? I had always
thought a life was protected my some sort of invisible rails.
Ise-san is out! said the smiling bunny girl who was as soaked with blood
as I was.
I could not let my mind go blank.
I had to think. I had to observe.
My fate would be decided by how much information I had gathered by the
time my turn came. But despite keeping that in mind, the scene before me
was so vivid my thoughts seemed to lack any continuity.
The men in work uniforms came in once more and took out the kimonowearing woman who was most certainly dead.
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The bunny girl did an extremely apathetic job of wiping the blood off of
the guillotine before saying, Okay, round #3. Yate-san, come on up.
N-no The man who was wearing a suit but was obviously not a
salaryman shook his head as he trembled. Ive had enough!! Thisthis
isnt normal! Its messed up!! Im not doing it. I would rather do the most
difficult job in the world over this!
Yate-san?
Im not doing it. I told you Im not doing it! H-hey!! I said Im not doing
it!! Im leaving. Stop! Let go of me!! Hey! Dammit!! I said let go!!
Yate-saaan?
The men in work uniforms grabbed the man in a suit, forced him into the
humiliating pose, and restrained him within the guillotine that stank of iron.
And then it hit me.
(I see now.)
(Did you figure it out?)
(They force us down on all fours like a dog, so we cant see how far the
guillotine has passed. This is more than just a game of chicken.)
(Exactly. The problem is that we have no way of winning this attraction
without overcoming that.)
Participant #3 did not press the red button or the blue button.

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But the bunny girl did something which caused a change in the chain and
gear holding the giant blade in place. The blade quickly fell and the head
fell immediately afterwards.
More fresh blood gushed out.
I was surprised to find it was much less of a shock than the first time.
Had I begun to grow accustomed to it after experiencing it once? Or had
my fear surpassed its limits so my senses had numbed over?
The body was carried out like a mere object.
Now completely covered in red, the bunny girl said, Okay, #4.
Had I finished my observations?
Had I found a surefire method?
No.
It wasnt enough. It was nowhere near enough!
Yamazaki-san, come on up.
She urged me on.
It was my turn.
An unpleasant sweat poured out of me.
But I had to do it.
I had just been shown that resisting it did nothing to help.
Once I was on all fours like a dog with my neck and wrists fixed into the
guillotine, I tried to glare up at the bunny girl.
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But I failed.
I could only see up to her waist.
Ill do it myself, so keep your hand away from your button.
Do you think I would cheat? said the bunny girl while doing as I said.
Now, what was I to do?
I could not see the guillotine above me in this pose. And if I did not know
how far away the giant blade was, I could not know when to press the blue
button.
In that case, I needed to measure the time and speed of the falling
guillotine.
But it was too late to start thinking about that once it was my turn.
I needed to have done that ahead of time in order to have a perfect and
surefire method of victory.
I had been given three chances to watch the attraction.
But I had not used those chances effectively.
Had the boy in the sportswear actually made proper observations? Or was
he planning to use my round to do that?
With no basis to go on, I would have to press the blue button purely on
instinct. If I was too slow, it would literally kill me. The rules were much
too severe to rely on my instincts.
I needed something.
I needed some way to see the guillotine blade.
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Attraction 10

?
As I stared at the ground below me, I noticed something.
The floor.
Instead of carpeting, it was prepared like the floor of a school or hospital.
In other words, it reflected light. It was not as good as a mirror, but I could
see some vague shadows.
I could grasp the distances using that.
If you wanted to see something behind you, it was common sense to use a
mirror.
No
I started gripping the red button tighter, but then I changed my mind.
Wait.
Is it really that simple?
Reading writing reflected in a mirror was not easy. In the same way, it was
possible my mind would not accurately process the information even if the
images were accurate. The guillotine blade could fall before my mind
could catch up to the deviation in the image.
When I thought about it, anyones gaze would fall on this point when
forced into this dog-like pose.
Despite two people being killed, the bunny girl had gone out of her way to
wipe away the pool of blood.
Why?
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It was to make sure this trap still functioned!!

Just as a drowning man would grasp at a straw, we would easily jump at
this trap with our limited information. I needed to calm down. I could not
fall for this trap. I needed to observe everything calmly. I needed to think
about those who had set up this trap.
Why had they set it up?
It had to be to distract us from something else. That was the standard
technique used by magicians. There had to be something. There had to be a
surefire method. This trap was here to keep us from noticing it.
But
What was it?
What exactly was it?
Yamazaki-san? Whats wrong? If the time limit passes, I will drop the
guillotine myself.
My heart was not beating properly.
I had no solution.
Could I do nothing but entrust my life to my intuition?
I could not watch the guillotine fall, so was there any other way to
accurately measure the blades fall?
There is.
There is what?
There was a way to measure it.
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Attraction 10

I tried to raise my head, but I just felt a dull pain in my neck where it was
restrained. I could not watch it fall. But there had to be away.
Not the guillotine blade itself.
The chain and gear that were used to hold it in place.
Hey, kid! You, the one going after me!!
Eh? Me?
Tell me how big the gear directly above me is and how many teeth it has!
That will let me win this!!
Wait, you are supposed to complete this attraction alone, complained the
bunny girl.
How nave.
I had been making observations the entire time. I had been gathering the
information I needed to win.
And so I could be sure.
There wasnt a rule saying we couldnt receive advice. And our reward
has nothing to do with anyone elses performance, so that kid has no
reason to betray me. Listen up, if I win here, youll be able to figure out the
trick to it. If you want to know a surefire way to save yourself, help me
now!!
The boy wearing sportswear sighed and said, The gear has a diameter of
about 20 cm. I think it has about 70 teeth.
I had won.
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Attraction 10

As the chain moved, the gear would turn. I could count the number of
times I heard the chain and the teeth strike. If I had an accurate idea of how
far the guillotine had fallen, I could win this ridiculous blindfolded game
of chicken.
And then the bunny girl added, But you do not know if Matsui-san was
telling the truth.
The rules of this attraction give him no reason to betray me.
But the rules do not say he needs to help you out either. What if he has
always wanted to betray someone who thinks he is their last hope?
A silence followed.
Asking for an answer from the boy would be meaningless.
What good would it do to ask him if he was telling the truth or lying?
I lightly touched the surface of the red switch with my thumb.
I can win this.
Really?
I will win and redo my life!! And the first step is dropping this guillotine!!
Im not so sure it will work out that well for you.
I felt an infinite pressure emanating from the red and blue switches.
Nevertheless, I had to continue on.
The guillotine.
A tool for execution.
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Attraction 10

A tool created to kill.

I held the switch that would make it move.
I held the red switch.
And I pressed it.

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Final Check Before Handing in the Papers

Final Check Before Handing in the Papers

That completes the monitor videos.
Has everyone finished entering in their points of improvement?
If you have not, please hurry up.
Just to be sure, I will now repeat my explanation of that.
For each attraction, please locate any imperfection in the rules and enter at
least three points of improvement to make the attraction more difficult.
That is all. It is quite simple. If you find more than three, feel free to add
on extras. At any rate, locate every single imperfection and write them all
down.
Have you finished?
Okay, time is up.
Please pass your answer sheets up to the front.
One, two, three Good, I have all of them.
That completes this monitoring.
We thank you for your hard work.
We truly do.

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A Certain Voice Mail Message

A Certain Voice Mail Message

You have one message.

Hey, hey, onii-chan. Its me.

Leaving a message makes me nervous for some reason. Its weird how
different it is not having someone to talk to.
Well, that doesnt matter.
I hear youve gotten yourself involved in something dangerous again, but
try not to do that too much.
Do you not think youre involved in anything dangerous?
Cmon now. The dangers that you can tell are dangerous are third rate at
best. The truly dangerous things dont even look dangerous, so theyre a
real pain to deal with.
And theyre often located quite nearby.
For example, have you heard the story of the person on the phone?
Someone is talking to their lover over the phone, but their lover seems to
be acting weird. Well, there are a lot of different variations on the story,
but it always turns out the person was speaking with someone dangerous
instead of their lover. Some versions have the person realize it and save
them while others have them not realize it and not save them.
That is where the true dangers lie.
They are guaranteed to be safe, but then they overturn that assumption.
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You run across that kind of thing sometimes, so be careful.

Hm?
I wonder if talking about that will make you stop trusting this message of
mine?
That would make me sadis what you want to hear, right? Well, thats not
the type of person I am.
But
There might be a danger of people wanting to reach me using your phone
and pretending to be you.
Bye, onii-chan.
Having a girl who is not related to you in the slightest call you that is one
of the more enjoyable examples of the absurd, so make sure you dont give
up at that early stage.

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The End of a Major Assumption

Uuh
As he let out a groan, Higashikawa Mamoru could not tell where he was.
Like the morning after drinking enough alcohol to bathe in, his head
pounded and he could not remember how he had gotten here or what had
led him to come here.
But the more direct reason for his confusion was that he was surrounded in
complete darkness. He could tell he was lying on a hard floor, but he could
not find a desk, chair, or any other furniture when he stretched out his arm
to feel around. He had no idea how far away the walls were. The area could
be as large as a giant domed stadium or as small as an apartment bathroom.
Higashikawa wanted light.
With a look of realization, he reached into his pants pocket. But the cell
phone that was usually there was missing. The wallet he kept in the other
pocket was missing as well. This made him think someone had maliciously
left him here.
As he had no memories, it was possible he had thrown them out himself,
but it made more sense if someone else had taken them.
(Why do I have this dull headache?)
The last thing he could remember before the blank in his memories was
working a part time job at an amusement park known as Attraction Land. It
had been a temporary job that had him monitoring or debugging some
future attractions by finding any imperfections or flaws in some image
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videos. He had found the job posted on a bulletin board listing authorized
jobs at the university he attended.
He could not imagine how that had led to this darkness.
He did not know what his situation was, so it was possible the lights were
simply off.
But that did not explain the headache.
Where had the other participants gone? Where was the woman working for
Attraction Land that had overseen their work? Higashikawa wondered if
the others would have just left him while he lay sprawled out in the room.
What is going on?
Pain shot out in every direction from the core of his head.
He would not feel like this if he had simply fallen asleep.
He could only think he had consumed alcohol or something with similar
affects, but he did not remember drinking anything while watching the
videos.
In that case, what had happened?
Unless some strange gas had been pumped into that room, he could not
explain his current situation.
And if that was the case, why had it happened to him?
Before he could come up with an answer, something happened.
A loud electronic tone rang out repeatedly in the darkness.

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The sound itself was common enough; it was the one use in department
stores to preface a lost child notification. However, it was extraordinarily
loud. It was loud enough to cause a noticeable vibration in the floor
Higashikawas cheek was pressed up against. Needless to say, this did
nothing to help with the dull pain throbbing in his head.
It grew louder and louder like an alarm clock.
Did that mean something had been done to him that required that much
noise to bring him to his senses?
After the speakers volume was lowered, a female voice began speaking.
He could see nothing in the darkness, but the voice was staticky enough for
Higashikawa Mamoru to realize the voice was coming in over a speaker.
Okay, okay, okay. Now that the preparations are complete, its finally
time to get to our real purpose here.
?
It was the voice of the female Attraction Land worker.
But Higashikawa had no idea what she meant.
(Preparations? Our real purpose?)
I suppose you wouldnt know what I am talking about. Fortunately, I have
set up this room to help you grasp the situation as quickly as possible. If
you look over there, I think you will figure it out right away.
Higashikawa Mamoru heard a clicking sound.
At the same moment, his vision was filled with pure white.
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The rooms lights had come on.

It was an obvious truth, but the pain stabbing through Higashikawas
eyeballs and into his head was too great for him to grasp it at first. His eyes
having grown accustomed to the darkness was not enough to explain it. His
inner ear stopped working properly, so he lost his balance despite lying flat
on the floor. He felt like he was on a small boat.
He had no idea how he had been knocked unconscious, but the speed of his
pupil dilation may have been thrown off.
After 30 seconds of pain and resisting the urge to vomit up the contents of
his stomach, he finally began to see vague images through the pure white
of his vision.
The images slowly came into focus and Higashikawa Mamoru was able to
check on his situation.
He was in a square room about the size of a school classroom. It had no
windows and its only exit was a door made of thick steel. It had no desks,
chairs, or any other furniture. A speaker and a clock were hanging on the
wall. It truly was nothing but a square space
But there was one thing Higashikawa did not grasp at first despite seeing it
right before him.
His mind had put it off.
It was what he most had to focus on, yet he could tell he was consciously
forcing it to the very edge of his vision.
But that was not too surprising.
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In the center of the room was a mass of flesh.

When he looked more closely, he realized it was a womans corpse that
was missing its head and hands.
He shouted something.
Having a corpse in front of him was bad enough, but he felt an extreme
sense of revulsion upon realizing he had unknowingly been in the same
room with it and breathing the air around it.
Higashikawa did not know at what rate human bodies changed after death,
but he doubted the one in the center of this room was only two or three
days old. The body wrapped in a kimono had grown both blue and black.
The area around the wounds was the worst. Small white bugs were
wriggling around inside.
The body had been decapitated.
That brought a single image to Higashikawas mind.
A guillotine he muttered. And then he grew convinced. She was in
one of those attractions. One of the victims was a woman wearing a
kimono!!
Well done. So do you understand now that we are real? said the female
voice coming from the speaker on the wall.
Technically, it was possible the videos of the attraction had been fake and
someone had later created a new corpse to match.
But that made little difference

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Either way, these were people willing to kill someone for whatever they
were after.
Im sure you have figured it out by now, but our purpose here was not to
have you monitor those attractions. We can always score an attraction
carried out in the past ourselves. That was just preparation. It was like
bringing out the ingredients needed before cooking. Those were the
ingredients needed for you to participate in the final attraction. If you do
not understand, that is fine. Our objective always lies ahead! We are
always moving forward! The female voice spoke very cheerfully. And
that means our real purpose begins here!! We will be making new
additions to the attraction archive and we would like your help!!

New additions to the attraction archive.

Even though he knew what that meant, Higashikawa felt an intense refusal
to come to that conclusion.
But he could think of no other explanation.
Higashikawa Mamoru himself would become part of those videos.
He had been called here to be a performer in a new video for their archive.
In other words
A life-or-death attraction similar to the ones he had seen would soon begin.
One quick note, said the female voice. You are not allowed to call for a
temporary timeout or to give up partway through. In fact, the attraction
began the moment you woke up.
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Wait a second. Wait a second!! What are the rules of this attraction!? I
wasnt told anything!!
Higashikawa Mamoru of course had no intention of taking part in such a
ridiculous attraction.
But he still needed to know the rules so he did not step on a landmine in
his search for a way out.
After all, these were games with human lives on the line.
The ugly corpse in the center of the room told him all too well that the
organizers really did have the ability to take his life.
However
Oh, the rules? Yes, the rules. This is a proper attraction, so it of course has
strictly defined rules, said the woman halfheartedly. But I have no
obligation to explain them to you.
What?
Higashikawa Mamoru felt his mind freeze for an instant.
To survive, he had to build up an understanding of all the small details of
the situation, but the very bottom of the pyramid had just been pulled out
from underneath him.
But the organizer woman merely said, After all, we are the ones running
the attraction. As long as we understand the rules, the attraction can
continue. You dont need to know them. If you achieve victory according
to those rules, we will of course let you leave. So do your best!
Higashikawa did not understand.
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He was in a situation so severe the slightest misstep could get him

decapitated, but he was being told to grope around blindly without any
knowledge of what qualified as a misstep.
There was no way he could do anything in that situation.
He did not even know if he had to leave the room before a time limit ran
out or if he would fail if he carelessly left the room. He was simply being
asked to choose.
Higashikawas entire body began trembling ominously.
This was not due to the mental shock of external factors such as being
locked in a dark room or being shown that shocking corpse.
This came from within.
Fear was flowing out from the very core of his heart.
Other than the corpse, the square room was completely normal. Yet in
Higashikawas mental image, it was covered with countless landmines. He
was afraid that taking a single step or even breathing too deeply would
activate one of those landmines.
He felt completely bound.
While Higashikawa sat motionless and unable to move a single fingertip,
the woman spoke once more through the speaker.
Just so you know, the countdown has already begun.
What? What countdown!?
Heres a freebie.
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His answer came immediately afterwards.

He heard a slight clunking noise. The cheap wall clock located just under
the speaker had fallen to the ground. The clock face was pointed down, so
Higashikawa could now see the reverse side.
Something was attached to it.
That cylindrical something had colorful wires and a small circuit board
attached, making it very, very obvious what it was. A clear liquid filled the
transparent cylindrical container, but it was obviously not water.
It was a bomb.
Higashikawa felt like the ticking of the clock had suddenly grown much
faster.
An unpleasant sweat poured from his body as he heard the female voice
over the speaker once more.
The attraction has already begun. The method is up to you. Someone
please do something about your situation.

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Reaper Game 01

Reaper Game 01: Decision

Part 1
Higashikawa Mamoru hurriedly stood up. He ignored the corpse and the
bomb and ran over to the rooms only exit.
It was an extremely thick steel door.
But it would not open no matter how much he pushed or pulled. He kicked
it and rammed his shoulder into it, but it showed no sign of breaking. It
seemed to be very sturdily built and it was tightly locked. He spotted a
keyhole near the doorknob. The design gave off a different impression
from the keyhole to a house.
A key? muttered Higashikawa as he looked around. I need to find the
key. Is that what this attraction is?
No response came from the speaker.
Higashikawa looked around the room. The square space had no furniture or
equipment. No matter how small the key was, he should have found it
immediately as there was nowhere to hide it. Yet it was not there. He could
not find it. Was there simply no key in the room? Or
(If its hidden)
Higashikawa looked over at the wall clock that had fallen to the floor. The
clock had been turned into a time bomb with an unknown time limit. The
key could be hidden within, but he did not want to carelessly dismantle it.

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Higashikawas impression of bombs came from movies and dramas, but he

was fairly certain that real bombs would explode if you messed with them
just like in fiction.
But on the other hand
(The bomb was installed on the outside of the clock. Was that because
there was no space inside for it?)
And the parts on the outside such as the circuit board and the bomb itself
were completely exposed. They were not hidden within a box. He could
see nothing in which a key could be hidden. The cylindrical container with
the liquid explosive inside was transparent, so he would have been able to
see a key hidden within.
It was not in the clock.
Where else could the key be hidden?
Where could a small key be hidden in that almost entirely empty room?
Youre kidding me.
After looking around the room again, Higashikawas expression stiffened.
There was something he had been trying to keep his mind off of.
It was sitting in the middle of the room.
The corpse of the woman in a kimono.
It was true a key could be hidden on that.

He hesitated to approach.
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If this was the remains of a relative who had lived to a ripe old age and
died of natural causes and it had been properly prepared for a funeral, he
might have been able to tearfully see her off to her grave.
However, the object in the center of the room was clearly different.
The woman in the kimono had been killed in an abnormal way so she was
missing her head and hands. And it seemed a few days had passed since
her death, so this had transformed into something no normal person would
think of as human. The corpse seemed to be radiating the invisible
concept of death. He felt he would be enveloped by that death if he
carelessly approached.
But he had to check.
A time bomb that could explode at any time had been put in the room. And
he had been thrown inside with it.
He had no idea how powerful the bomb was, but he doubted it would be
survivable from within the room if it was one of their penalties.
He guessed the blast would envelop the entire room at least.
He had to find the key to the door before that happened. He had to search
every spot it could be in.
Dammit
With every step he took, the urge to vomit grew. His feet grew unsteady
beneath him. He felt as if he was walking on a ship. His gaze was fixed on
the corpses neck wound.
The ten steps it took felt like hell.
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But he eventually made it to the corpse.

He crouched down.
Approaching it and touching it were two different things. This was an even
higher hurdle. But he had to do it. Higashikawa grabbed the cloth of the
kimono and flipped over the corpse.
He found a silver key. Tears welled up in his eyes. But something was
wrong. The key did not have the proper jagged teeth.
This was a blank key. Trying it in the door would only waste time and
could even destroy the keyhole
He rolled the corpse back onto its back and stared at the kimono. Unlike
western clothes, the kimono technically had no pockets. However, a key
could still be hidden in the clothes.
This was a womans corpse with no head or hands.
He felt an intense rejection towards the idea of sticking his hand inside the
kimono.
Uuh
Even so, Higashikawa was urged on by the ticking of the time bomb.
He reached out a trembling hand.
He first reached inside the corpses right sleeve. He felt a sticky sensation
and his urge to vomit doubled. Was this blood from the severed hand or
had the womans skin started to liquefy like a green onion? Higashikawa
did not know much about the decomposition process and he was afraid to
think about it too much.
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He then felt a hard key.

But when he pulled his hand back out from the kimonos sleeve, he was
holding another blank key. Something brown and wet covered his
fingertips. A sharp odor reached his nose. He thought he was going to cry.
But he also felt like his mind would completely break if he stopped
working now. While thinking as little as possible, Higashikawa continued
his work.
He reached his hand into various parts of the kimono, but found nothing
but more blank keys.
He had gone so far and yet it had all been a waste.
He suddenly started to wonder if there was any need to continue the search
for the real key.
Could he perhaps dig through the wall with the blank keys? He did not
need to open up large enough a hole to pass through. He just had to dig
around the bolts holding the door frame in place. Then he could pull the
entire door down.
But
He continued his search for the real key. Would the enemy allow him to
ignore the proper method and force his way out? They were the same
people who had prepared this corpse.
If he did not find the real key, he would be blown away by the bomb.
The extreme situation felt as if it would destroy his stomach, but then a
thought struck Higashikawa.
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He realized where the key could still be hidden.

He thought of a location.

With almost no expression left on his face, Higashikawa Mamoru looked

toward that location.
He looked back toward the kimono-wearing womans corpse.
However, he did not think they key was hidden in her clothes.
He had to search deeper.
There was a much crueler hiding spot.
In other words
The key could be inside the corpse.
It could have been embedded inside it somewhere.
Youre kidding me
Higashikawa shook his head at the very idea he had come up with himself.
He wanted to deny it.
But with the organizers who had thought up and carried those attractions, it
seemed likely.
Youre kidding me!!
Higashikawa shouted, forcibly encouraged himself, and then began poking
down at the surface of the kimono-wearing womans corpse. He was
pressing down almost hard enough for his finger to sink into the
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decomposing skin. If a key was located under the skin, he thought he

would feel a hard lump.
But he could not tell.
He was not sure.
Just pressing down with a single finger was not enough to know if a key
was there or not.
Which meant
He had no choice but to actually cut the corpse open and check.

As Higashikawa imagined it in his head, he rolled over onto the floor.

And he cried out.
Aaaahhhhhhhhhh!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
He felt like his entire stomach was going to come out his mouth. He
pointlessly swung his arms and legs around. Tears poured from his eyes
and his vision blurred. He felt an unpleasant crawling feeling on his palms.
Was he going to do it?
Did he really have to do it?

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Whether alive or dead, a human was a human. That bluish black corpse
that he had felt so repelled by now brought the word human into
Higashikawas mind. He would be slicing it open. He would be looking
inside. Those actions felt like desecration.
But time continued on.
If he did not want to die in the explosion, he had to try out every possibility
that came to his mind.
He wiped away his tears and looked around.
Something was glittering on the ground near the clock that had fallen to the
floor. They were sharply pointed glass shards. The glass that had protected
the face of the clock had shattered from the fall.
He could use one of those sharp fragments as a blade.
Uuhkh
Higashikawa slowly stood back up.
He did not want to die.
He did not want to be blown into as many pieces as logic and common
sense had been.
He moved across the room to grab the largest of the glass shards and then
faced the kimono-wearing corpse once more. He gulped audibly. He had to
cut it open, take out the contents, and examine them all. That was his
unavoidable path if he was to attempt every possibility for survival.
He crouched down.
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He removed the kimono from the corpses chest.

What lay below was more horrible than he had thought. For an instant, his
vision darkened and stomach acid rose in his throat, but he somehow
managed to endure. He focused intently on the glass shard he held between
the fingers of his right hand. He brought it down to the corpses unmoving
chest.
He pressed down.
The transparent shard sank down about 5 millimeters and Higashikawa
forcefully shook his head.
It was too late to bring a hand to his mouth.
Geh!! Ugeehhh!! Gbggh!! Gbh!!
He felt like his stomach had suddenly become directly attached to his
mouth. Like water flowing back up through a pipe, vomit spewed out
across the floor.
Most of his heart cried out that he had had enough.
But he would not survive if he took the easy path. He would meet a similar
fate to this corpse. And being blown to pieces by a bomb had to be even
more horrible than being decapitated by a guillotine.
Higashikawa grabbed the glass shard once more.
He placed it against the center of the kimono-wearing womans body and
pressed his weight down on it. After making sure the tip had sunk in, he
felt like intense static was running through his mind. He was overcome by
dizziness as he pulled the glass shard down to the womans navel.
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This was different than cutting a piece of paper with a utility knife.
He continually felt the shard catch as he worked his way down.
Because the woman had died several days before, she did not bleed much.
Instead, something more black than red seeped out. The sour smell spread
further. He realized anew that her insides were rotting.
Higashikawas heart had already numbed over.
He had imagined it as being like opening up a pair of double-doors, but it
was not that neat. The end result was more like the slit to a disposable
package of tissues. He could not see the insides from the outside. With his
head wobbling, he moved both hands and stuck his fingertips into the
vertical slit he had opened up.
He felt a horribly soft and squishy sensation.
He felt around primarily in the center of the upper body where her stomach
would be, but only found a blank key.
She had not been made to swallow the real key.
That meant it had been surgically embedded somewhere else.
He would have to cut her open and search everywhere from her back to the
ends of her arms and legs.
Higashikawas breathing grew erratic and he felt oxygen deprived even in
that room filled with air.
He pressed the tip of the glass shard against the corpses right arm and cut
it open.
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He felt something hard near the elbow.

He stuck his fingertips into the wound and tried to pull it out, but he could
not.
It was not a key. When Higashikawa realized the protrusion was white, he
vomited for the second time.
Even so, he had no choice but to continue the work.
This was no time for showing respect to the dead.
He found bloody blank key after bloody blank key. It was possible a limit
was set on the number of times he could look, but it was not worth thinking
about now. As the womans corpse slowly lost its general form,
Higashikawa Mamoru finally found something made of a gold metal in the
womans right thigh.
The object covered in something sticky that was both red and black turned
out to be a real key with teeth.
He tossed aside the glass shard.
Not even the standard idea of wiping off his dirty hands entered his mind.

He walked unsteadily toward the steel door. He could think of nothing

crueler than this key not fitting the keyhole, but fortunately the organizers
had not gone that far.
The key entered the keyhole.
It turned.
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Whatever the doorknob had been catching on was gone. The door easily
opened.
He practically fell out of the room.
Higashikawa Mamoru gave several shallow breaths to try to take in oxygen
while lying on the floor soaked in sweat.

Part 2
Higashikawa Mamoru found himself in a narrow passageway.
Five identical steel doors were lined up along it.
He could not tell if they led to identical square rooms or if they led to the
buildings exit.
Dammit
Higashikawa brought his hands to the steel door he had left through and
slammed it shut half in desperation. He did not know if that would be
enough to stop the blast, so he walked backwards away from the door. He
felt a chill as he thought about if he had decided to destroy the doorframe
without using the real key. His back reached the wall and he slid down to a
sitting position.
Dammit!! I survived. I survived!! Was that the attraction, you bastards!?
He put all his strength into shouting, but received no response.
But then
One of the other five steel doors opened. A man with a slight beard and
wearing a bloody work uniform came out.
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Intense anger and wariness welled up within Higashikawa.

The man must have sensed something in Higashikawas eyes because he
frantically shouted, W-wait! Wait!! Im a participant too!!
Higashikawa finally realized something thanks to that shout.
He looked down at himself.
He was covered in just as much blood as the man in the work uniform.
Dirtying his clothes had been unavoidable while searching for the key
embedded in the corpse.
Still sitting on the floor, Higashikawa looked up at the man.
Did you do the monitoring too?
Yes. And now I had to find goddamn key in a corpses thigh. Im
Kazakami. How about you?
Higashikawa, he replied quickly before finally taking a deep breath.
Sorry.
Its fine. You showed plenty of restraint in not running at me.
The man named Kazakami tried to wipe sweat from his face but then
realized his hands were still covered in blood. He grimaced.
Attraction Land is a world famous amusement park, so I thought nothing
shady would be going on here. And yet this is what I find. How insane
can this get?
Hey, about that

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Just as Higashikawa began to speak, two more of the five steel doors
opened. From one came a woman in a suit who looked like a coldhearted
career woman and from the other came a high school aged girl in a school
uniform.
Their clothes were bloody too.
It seemed everyone had had a corpse to deal with.
The career woman said she was Hiyama and the high school girl said she
was Matsumi.
After they had all exchanged names, Higashikawa returned to the topic at
hand.
This was supposed to be a job with Attraction Land, but do we really
know theyre involved in this at all? Its a famous amusement park, so
maybe someone was just using the name.
Yes, I doubt an international corporation would be involved in such risky
games. Perhaps someone was using the large grounds without permission.
The blood on her hands must have bothered her because Hiyama scraped
them up against the wall again and again. For one thing, a company
making that much money would have no need to be involved in anything
so dangerous.
Thats right, agreed the high school girl named Matsumi. But where did
the other participants go? If I recall, there were thirty or forty people
watching those videos.
There were only 5 doors.
If only one participant had been locked inside each one, it did not add up.
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Were the others involved in their own attractions elsewhere?

Or
Had those attractions already been completed?
The man in the work uniform, Kazakami, searched through his pockets.
Hey, does anyone have a cell phone. I want to call the police.
Mine was taken, said Matsumi.
Higashikawa and Hiyama shook their heads.
The organizers had likely confiscated them in preparation for the
attractions.
That isnt good. They can get our personal information from the phones
memory.
Wait a second!! So this group of psychos will know our addresses and our
friends phone numbers!?
Just escaping will not be enough. Hiyama let out a quick sigh. And if
those videos were all real, these organizers kill people for fun on a daily
basis. They must have a system in place to escape the police even if they
are reported. I have no idea what that might be though.
Then what are we supposed to do? asked Kazakami.
Hiyama glared lightly at him and said, But there is plenty of evidence of
their crimes here. If we can gather enough information to prove what sorts
of attractions are carried out here Well, having them all arrested would

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be best, but even if we cant manage that, we might be able to hold them in
check so they cannot go after us anymore.
Wait. Are you saying we head deeper into this instead of running away?
frantically cut in Kazakami. Will that really work!? Thats like heading
deep into the forest yourself. Its suicide!
Then what do you say we do? We can assume they have our personal
information from our phones. Escaping here does us no good if they can
simply target our homes.
I dont know what we can do about that, but escaping here comes first.
We can always just abandon our homes. We could run away to some
tropical island.
The high school girl named Matsumi shook her head.
If we had the money for that, we wouldnt have come for this job in the
first place.
We can just go to some really cheap country! We can manage to live
comfortably enough for a while.
Despite Kazakamis vigorous explanation, it simply did not sound realistic.
And that was likely especially true for Matsumi who was still supported by
her parents. A minor like her could not choose to abandon the country.
Not that Higashikawa Mamorus situation was much different.
Hey, said Hiyama as if she had suddenly realized something.
Higashikawa looked over to find her looking at one of the five steel doors.
Does anyone know when the time bombs will explode?
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No. Matsumi shook her head. None of the attractions rules were
explained to me.
Why do you ask?
Well Hiyama pointed a slender finger toward the door she had been
looking at. That door is the only door that hasnt opened yet. I have no
idea when the bomb explodes, but doesnt the person in there need to get
out as soon as possible?

They all turned to look at the unopened door.

Kazakami spoke up as if to shake off a bad feeling.
Well, we dont actually know every single door has a participant inside.
That door might lead out of the building.
But
What if someone was locked in there with a bomb?
What if they had not realized the key was in the corpse?
Or what if they knew where the key was but did not have the courage to
take it out?
Higashikawa, Matsumi, Kazakami, and Hiyama.
Those four had made the decision to survive. But that did not mean
everyone would make the same decision in the same situation.
Hey
The next thing he knew, Higashikawa was calling out toward that door.
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No one tried to stop him.

Higashikawa stood up and ran over to the steel door. He frantically
pounded his fists on the door and shouted into the room.
Hey!! Is there someone in there!? Did you give up when you kept finding
blank keys? You know where the real key is, right? This is no time to
hesitate!! Hurry up and get out of there!!
He tried to turn the doorknob, but as expected, it was locked and would not
budge. Trying to kick it down would be useless.
Meanwhile, a frail female voice came from the other side of the door.
Higashikawa could not tell if the voice was really that quiet or if it was
only being muffled by the thick door.
I cannot.
You cant what!?
I cannot do it. I cannot That isthat is
Dammit, cursed Higashikawa through clenched teeth.
If the person inside did not cut up the corpse and get out the key, she could
not leave the room. If she did not leave, she would eventually be blown to
pieces by the time bomb.
The woman inside knew that yet could not choose to do it.
Higashikawa did not think she was simply refusing to look at reality or
being indecisive. He saw something incredibly bright in her.
But it was all over if she did not do it.
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That bright thing had been completely normal not long before and yet now
it was too much to even look directly at. And it would soon be destroyed in
an explosion.
Higashikawa pounded his fists on the steel door and shouted, Come out!!
Get out of there!! This is no time to be idealistic! We were forced to do this.
We arent the ones at fault here!!
Butbut
The real key is in the corpses right thigh. You dont have to open up a
very large hole. You only have to make a small cut! Hurry up and do it!!
I cannot do it. I cannot live like this. I do not want to survive badly
enough to do something like this. Do not worry about me. At least work to
survive yourself
Higashikawa felt an intense heat surge through his stomach.
This was not confusion or fear over the unreasonable situation he had been
thrown into.
It was anger.
It was anger toward the organizers who enjoyed creating these cruel
situations they called attractions. He felt fierce anger when he thought
about them rejoicing as they trampled goodness and reason underfoot.
He had no idea who this woman on the other side of the door was.
Focusing on ones own moderation and dropping out of ones own free
will may have been a different option a human could take. That decision

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may have been much more respectable than Higashikawa and the others
decisions to slice open someone else to save themselves.
But he could not allow it.
Someone that decent could not be allowed to die in such an unreasonable
and nonsensical way.
You cant do that.
What do you mean?
No matter how noble your choice may be, the organizers will only rejoice
when they see it! They will be clapping their hands together and laughing
their asses off in some comfortable room!! I cant let that happen. There is
only one way to make those fucked-up organizers cry and your decision
here will ruin it!!
Whatway is that? These organizers have created such an elaborate
setting to mess with us while ensuring they will never be harmed. I do not
see how we can fight back. And even if we can, do not worry about me.
You can head down that path yourself.
I need your help for the method Im thinking of.
The organizers had overwhelming power.
They were absolute existences who used human beings like game pieces.
If there truly was a method of frustrating those unknown people, it had to
be to
Every single one of us must survive this. That is the only way to defeat
the organizers!!
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A slight silence followed.

Higashikawa continued on.
So dont die here! Dont end this!! That is not the path you chose. That is
the ending prepared by the organizers and it is the ending they are eager to
see!! So survive this! Survive by any means necessary!!

Please.
Higashikawa seemed to squeeze out that last word.
Setting aside whether the person had been alive or dead, he had cut open a
human being. He did not want to put anyone else through that experience
nor did he want anyone to be treated in the same fashion after their death.
They would live on and go home.
That seemed like a terribly obvious thing, but it seemed horribly unrealistic
here.
But he spoke once more.
Please!! Were at our limit. We cant accept peoples deaths again and
again! If you die, something will break within us. So pleaseplease!
Dont show us that again!!
He received no response.
He could hear nothing at all through the door.
Had he not been able to reach her?
Thinking he had not, Higashikawa leaned up against the door.
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But then
He heard a hard clicking noise from the steel door.
It was the sound of a key turning.
Uuhkh
He heard someone groaning through as the door cracked open.
A foreign-looking woman with blonde hair and blue eyes exited. She
appeared to be about college age. Her clothes were covered in dark red
blood and she had tears and snot covering her face.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman looked at Higashikawa and the other
participants in the passageway before collapsing to the floor. She covered
her face with hands covered in someone elses blood and began sobbing.
She had made a decision and lost something bright within her.
But she had survived.
Higashikawa dragged her fully out into the passageway and shut the steel
door.
Not even 10 minutes later, an explosive noise stabbed into their ears.
Despite how thick the steel doors were, all five of them bulged out quite a
bit. If even one of them had not been closed or if any one of the
participants had escaped without using the proper key, everyone in the

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passageway would have been smashed to pieces by the blast. The giant
mass of violent noise was enough to tell them that.
For a while, the five of them stared at the warped doors.
For the moment, they had made no sacrifices.
It took a full three minutes before that hit home.
Its over, muttered Higashikawa blankly. Its over.
Yes, agreed the career woman named Hiyama. But what is over?

They had definitely cleared one attraction. But they had no idea where they
were and there did not seem to be an exit. Even if they managed to escape,
they had no guarantee the organizers would not pursue them. In other
words, their safety was in no way ensured.
The man in the work uniform named Kazakami cut in to say, I kinda liked
the sound of that.
?
That thing about the only way to defeat the organizers.
I agree, said the high school girl named Matsumi. I dont know if even
our best efforts will be enough, but having a goal like that is a good idea.
Having everyone survive is our way of opposing the organizers.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman looked up at Higashikawa from the

floor.
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He did not know what to say.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief and simply said the words that came to
mind.
Then lets go and find a way to survive.
The five began moving.
The second attraction was sure to begin soon.

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Progress Report #201

Progress Report #201

Checking current criminal charges of each participant.
The parameters for each participant in Player 1 are as follows:

Higashikawa Mamoru.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse and instigating the same.

Hiyama Tomoko.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

Kazakami Shinzou.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

Matsumi Shirauo
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

Rachel Skydance
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Progress Report #201

Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.

Mutilating a corpse. (Unclear if she would have done so on her own.)

Each participant has been successfully given criminal charges suitable to

the organizations objective.
As they have satisfied the requirements, the plan shall continue centered on
Player 1.

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Reaper Game 02: Setup

Part 1
It seemed the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman was named Rachel.
She attended a junior college in the city and had found out about the
monitoring through a help wanted section in the newspaper.
But the high school girl named Matsumi did not have it in her to focus on
each of their individual situations.
Hey, the wall has crumbled here, said the man in the work uniform
named Kazakami.
He was peering into one of the five rooms the time bombs had detonated in.
Either the shock had been too great or it had been set up that way from the
beginning because one entire wall had crumbled leading to another space
beyond.
Hiyama in her showy suit and Rachel with her skin too white to be
Japanese leaned over to peer into the room.
(He settled that quite well.)
Matsumi was focusing on a single participant out of the other four.
He had given the name Higashikawa.
He appeared to be about college age. It may have been due to the extreme
situation or he may have always been that way, but his expression did not
seem to change much.

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He had said every single one of them needed to survive in order to get back
at the organizers.
It was an excellent goal.
And as a fellow participant, Matsumi had no real reason to reject it.
And on top of that
(The bonds of a group are often strengthened by finding the odd man out
and attacking him.)
As a high school girl, Matsumi knew that process quite well. That problem
weighed down on anyone in the confined area known as school life.
(Normally, that odd man out has to be kicked out of the group first. Once
he is not part of the group, the situation will not grow violent so easily.)
For example, say a nearby school is seen as a rival in an upcoming mock
examination or club competition. A competition between the regulars of a
school will unavoidably grow into a mess on the surface and behind the
scenes. However, when the scope is expanded beyond the school, the
competition can amazingly be carried out in a pure fashion.
Defusing that delicate situation had taken quite a lot of skill.
Although Matsumi was not sure if Higashikawa was aware of the situation
he had created or not.
(Anyway)
Matsumi switched over her train of thought.

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She could not deny that she wanted to seize the initiative in the
conversation, but forcing herself into an already settled situation would
only cause unnecessary problems.
She double checked where she stood.
If she was going to give up on remaining neutral, she would need to focus
on not being pushed outside the group.
She did not fully agree with Higashikawas view and she was not prepared
to remain with the other four to the very brink of death. But her sense for
how to remain within a delicate group told her she must not let them
realize that.
They had already been united into a group opposing the organizers. If she
said she would prefer to act on her own discretion, she could easily be seen
as disrupting the harmony of the group. In the worst case, she could even
be labeled an ally of the organizers.
She glanced over at Hiyama and Rachel, the other women.
On the surface, they seemed to agree, but had they truly not realized the
risks? Or had they and they were simply making sure no one noticed just
like Matsumi was?
She could not tell what they were truly thinking.
They had officially united as a single group, so the others might begin
suspecting her if they thought she was trying to sound out the others.
What are you doing? asked Higashikawa, the one who had set up the
situation.
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While using her facial muscles to create a harmless-looking smile,

Matsumi replied, Wait. Im coming.
She then passed through the steel door that had been warped in the
explosion and entered the room.
The room had been bare to begin with, but the blast had created cracks in
the walls and the ceiling. Small fragments must have rained down because
the floor gave an overall impression of being disorderly.
Then again
One major factor behind that impression may have been the corpse that had
been blown to pieces and scattered across the floor and walls.
Matsumi did her best not to look at that.
The main issue was the back wall.
Unlike the rest of the room, the entire wall had crumbled. Another area
continued on beyond it. It was a long passageway. The linoleum floor was
covered mostly in a cold darkness and was eerily lit by an emergency exit.
This was not the same as a school.
It seemed more sterile yet gave off a strong impression of death.
Yes.
This looks like a hospital, muttered Matsumi.
As no one gave a differing opinion, it seemed they all felt the same.
The five moved further in.

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This passageway had a window. The darkness outside made it clear it was
night. But it would prove difficult to leave through the window. They
appeared to be over 10 stories up.
And
What the hell? Metal bars? said the man with a slight beard and a work
uniform.
Yes.
Several thick steel bars were welded to the inside of the window. They did
not provide enough room to squeeze through and they looked too sturdy to
remove. Plus, they could be booby-trapped with a bomb or high voltage
current.
The metal bars over the window were partially there to keep anyone from
leaving, but they also gave off a sense of humiliation like they were
trapped in a cage at the zoo.
Hiyama pointed down the passageway.
Hey, I see some more bars up ahead.
What?
Is this a mental hospital?
Hospitals equipped with metal bars would occasionally show up in movies
or dramas. However, a high school girl like Matsumi had no idea if real
mental hospitals were equipped with such inhumane bars.
However, it brought a certain image to mind.
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She recalled a certain term that had recently been all over the tabloid
headlines and the hanging advertisements on trains.
Is this that Hell Hospital?
Ugeh!? Not that groaned Kazakami with a visibly displeased look.
However, he had to be thinking something else as well:
That was an idea the organizers of these deadly attractions would find
absolutely mouthwatering.
Higashikawa wiped sweat from his brow and said, What was that again?
Some kind of facility that took in children who refused to go to school and
claimed to help them return to society? But they were actually thrown into
a hospital filled with metal bars and put through torturous rehabilitation,
right? They ignored the kids personal situations and assumed they had
dropped out due to an immature mind.
An expert medical institution backed them, so the kids parents did not
suspect a thing. I heard that by the time the authorities realized what was
going on, the group had become so utterly twisted that they insisted the
children were simply sleeping even though they had been mummified in
their beds. I wonder how much of that was true.
Matsumi only had the information from tabloids, but one theory said the
children who made mistakes would be given a special punishment in which
they were dragged to the operating room, had their skill opened up, and
received a lobotomy.
She had no idea how much of it was true, but it had been on a large enough
scale to leave its mark on the history of Japanese crime.
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And since it seemed like a cult linked to medicine, it was also said the
health food and diet booms had helped instigate it.
However
We have no way of knowing if this is the real Hell Hospital, said
Higashikawa. We saw a lot of different stages in those attraction videos.
This could be a building the organizers created to resemble the Hell
Hospital for their twisted purposes.
Thats right. Kazakami looked back out through the barred window. I
cant see the lights of a city outside. And is that the sea in the distance?
They could only see in the one direction, so they could not be certain if
they were on the coast or on an island. That difference would greatly
change what they had to do after escaping the building.
At any rate, they had to keep moving, so they continued on.
However, they found more metal bars not even 20 meters down the
passageway. A small door someone could pass through was installed, but it
was of course locked.
Higashikawa stared at the small door.
I guess it wont be that easy.
But there was only one path here. Is there a key hidden somewhere in the
passageway like in the rooms or were five different passageways meant to
open up in the explosions?
Hey, look, said Kazakami as he pointed at the bars.

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Or more accurately, past the bars. The area was too dark to see it
immediately, but a small sign had been set up in the middle of the
passageway. It resembled the ones used to warn of a wet floor.
But a scrap of notebook paper had been taped to it.
Extremely round writing had been written with a thick permanent marker.
It said: Beware the traitor.

An unpleasant silence fell over all of them.

It was a simple sentence. It had no basis and they had no guarantee it was
accurate.
But
(This is bad.)
It did not matter if it was true or not. Seeing that here would cause them to
begin to wonder if there was a traitor among them. To put it bluntly, that
was information that must not be inputted within them. Once it made its
way into their heads, it would remain as a prickling in the corner of their
hearts no matter how much they denied it on the surface. It would sow the
seeds of suspicion.
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Theyre just trying to shake us. Its obvious what the organizers want
here, spat out Higashikawa as he averted his gaze from the sign.
Rachel and Kazakami did the same.

Hiyama stared at the sign for a bit, but finally sighed and did the same as
Higashikawa and the others.
Matsumi did not follow anyone in particulars lead, but followed the
overall flow of the situation and looked away as well.

Part 2
In truth, Matsumi had no memories.
It had felt similar to when the monitoring had ended midway and she had
found herself in a dark room. All she remembered was a dull throbbing
pain in her head and the surrounding memories growing vague.
However
Unlike this time, the gap in her memories had been quite large.
Starting from the moment she had woken up, the gap had stretched back
almost 15 years.
That first time, she had woken up inside an empty train.

The long benches on either side of the train had no one else sitting in them.
Matsumi seemed to have been sleeping while sitting on the end of one of
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the benches near the door. When she frowned at the odd headache and tried
to look around, she heard a slight noise.
It came from her school bag falling from her lap and to the floor.
Matsumi frantically grabbed the bag, but no one had seen her. The hanging
advertisements shaking with the movements of the train displayed the faces
of those in charge of the facility nicknamed the Hell Hospital.
She could not remember what subway line she was on or what station she
was heading towards.
And that single question quickly made her aware of more and more things
she could not remember. Once she realized that included her own address
and even her name, Matsumi felt a chill run down her spine. The dull
headache made its presence very well known.
In an attempt to control her unstable heart, Matsumi frantically undid the
latch of her school bag and rummaged through it.
From the textbooks and notebooks she found, she learned she was a second
year high school student.
She began to grow worried when she checked through every pocket and
could not find a wallet or subway pass. She checked two or three times but
still could not find them. She could tell the monster known as panic was
opening its giant maw, but then she felt something on her thigh. She stuck
a hand into her skirt and checked the pocket.
She found a sparkling pink wallet made of lam and a cell phone that
reflected light in the same way.

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But when she switched on the cell phone, it displayed a password prompt.
She of course did not know what that password was, so she could advance
no further.
She looked through the wallet.
It also seemed to function as a card case as it held an IC-type subway pass.
The surface had the normal stations she travelled between printed on it:
Shirasagi to Kusanomine. The first one printed would normally be where
her home was, so she guessed her home was in Shirasagi.
She also found a few store point cards with addresses in Shirasagi. The
user name given on the cards was Matsumi Shirauo.
(Is that my name?)
Matsumi tilted her head but it did not feel real to her.
She also found a folded photograph inside the wallet. She unfolded it to
find someone with her same face smiling between a middle-aged man and
a middle-aged woman.
It was a family photo. And using a paper photo in the age of digital
cameras seemed like something an old man would insist on. From that, she
guessed she got along well with her family and did what her parents
wanted.
The wallet also contained a few 1000 yen bills and quite a bit of change.
The change pocket also held a key. It may have belonged to her house. It
was not one of the uniquely shaped keys that belonged to a bicycle or
scooter. She found no receipts. She must have been the type who threw
them away at the register.
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Nothing in the wallet listed her exact address or phone number.

All of that personal information was likely contained in her cell phone. She
had had no reason write it out when it was stored there.
Shirasagi. We will be stopping at Shirasagi next. Everyone using the
Bungaku Line or the Special Coastal Line must switch trains. I repeat: we
will be stopping at
Matsumi frantically stood up from the bench when she heard the flat voice
of that announcement.
The subway train stopped at a station in the tunnel.
She stepped off onto the platform, but it was as oddly deserted as the train.
She knew her home was somewhere in Shirasagi, but she knew nothing
more detailed than that. As she wondered what to do, she suddenly recalled
the subway pass in her wallet.
She pulled it out again to check and it was indeed the IC card type. It was
made so she could pass through the ticket gate just by touching the card to
it.
And that meant it had her personal information registered in it.
She followed the arrow on the sign to walk across the platform and to the
ticket gate. She used her subway pass to leave the station and approached
the automatic ticket machine. She inserted her pass and called up the menu
to change the registered information.
Her name, address, and contact information appeared immediately.
It seemed she lived in an apartment rather than a house.
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But before she could feel relieved, Matsumis expression froze over.
Something she had not expected was listed along with the other personal
information.
Her occupation.
Due to what she was wearing, she had assumed that field would simply
have student entered, but it did not. Something else was written there:
Temporary Employment
Attraction Land Sales Department

Part 3
Due to the metal bars across the passageway, they could not continue on.
Could it have been a coincidence that Matsumi and the others had come
here? Were all five rooms meant to have a wall crumble to reveal five
different passageways?
In the worst case, they would need to head back to the original five rooms
and try to destroy the walls, floor, and ceilings of the other four. The five
of them turned back and carefully investigated the passageway. The only
illumination came from the emergency exit light which was beyond the
metal bars.
That was why it took them so long to notice.
It was unclear if the organizers had even intended to hide it.
Here said Rachel in a feeble voice as she felt along the wall overly
slowly out of fear of a poisoned needle or some other trap. Is this a door?
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The others gathered around her.

They felt along the wall too and it did indeed feel odd. It was cold like a
sheet of metal. It likely was a door just as Rachel had said.
However, it had no knob.
It was nothing more than a flat metal panel.
What kind of door is this? How do you open it?
Kazakami was the one to voice the question all of them were thinking.
Matsumi pushed with both hands, but it would not budge.
Could this be? muttered Higashikawa before crouching down.
He seemed to be feeling around for something in the darkness.
He primarily focused on the floor.
I was right. Theres a switch here. You step on it to open the door.
Is this for an operating room? I think they make it open with a switch on
the floor so the doctor does not dirty his hands, commented Hiyama
casually, but then she seemed to realize the weight of the words she had
just said.
A great tension ran through the darkness.
The Hell Hospital had partially earned its name due to what went on in the
operating rooms.
Children in perfect health had been forcibly dragged in, had their skulls
opened, and had their brain operated on for a lobotomy. It was a bloody
experimental ground.
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Their surroundings did not give an enjoyable impression.

Whether this was the real Hell Hospital or not, the organizers of the
attractions would feel the strongest attachment to and interest in this stage.
Unless they were cruel enough to actually betray even that basic
assumption, the organizers would have something set up here.
What do we do?
I dont want to go in there any more than you do, but theres nowhere else
to go.

Rachel was too afraid to speak.

Matsumi slowly opened her mouth to speak in order not to provide too
much of a stimulus.
The odds are good this is some kind of trap or the next attraction. We
need to be careful.
Matsumi heard the sound of scraping metal.
Higashikawa must have pressed the button near the door.
The double doors opened inwards. In the next moment, the bright
fluorescent lights of an operating room lit up. They were left momentarily
blinded.
Matsumi instinctually held a hand up to her eyes and managed to maintain
some of her vision by squinting.
The area inside was surprisingly large.
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The lack of any special equipment may have strengthened that impression.
It was about as large as a classroom. The color scheme was entirely made
of a light blue and the walls were tiled. The ceiling was about 2 stories
high. The walls of the upper floor were covered in glass. New doctors and
others could observe the operation from there.
The operating table and a characteristic surgical light were installed in the
center of the room. The surgical light was a device created from many
different individual lights.
The two pieces of equipment gave off an impression of being isolated
because the operating room was completely empty otherwise.
What? said Higashikawa as he entered the operating room.
Matsumi and Rachel followed his lead and walked in after him side by side.
And suddenly, a series of loud musical tones played.
Oh, was that too loud? My bad, my bad, said an equally loud voice.
The great noise brought them all to a stop.
The door to the operating room slammed shut behind Matsumi. Hiyama
and Kazakami were still out in the passageway. Rachel frantically ran over
to the door, but it would not budge no matter how much she pushed and
pulled.
There was a foot button on the floor near the door, but nothing happened
when Rachel tried it.
I-It will not open!!
They could hear someone pounding on the door from outside.
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Kazakamis voice shouted, Hey, what happened!? Are you holding it

shut!? This button just opened the door, right!?

Matsumi silently looked around the operating room and spotted a speaker
near the ceiling.
A female voice said, I thought you would all give up, but it seems you are
a surprisingly greedy bunch. That means it is time to begin the 2nd
attraction. If you clear it, you will be given the key to those metal bars. If
you fail, the door to the operating room will never open again.
A high-pitched noise exploded out.
It came from the upper floor.
The glass protecting the observation space had shattered. Not much rained
down, but Matsumi and Higashikawa jumped back as far as they could
whether it was actually falling toward them or not. Rachel was slower to
react, so Matsumi ran into her and they fell to the ground.
A woman stood in the space above.
It seemed she had broken the glass with a chair. She threw four objects
about the size of landline phone receivers through the hole that was too
large to call a gap.
Some landed on the surgical table and some missed and fell to the floor.
Higashikawas body stiffened in shock when he saw them.
Matsumi did not want to look toward them.
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But before she could, the woman who had broken the glass spoke.
Two of the handguns hold a real bullet and two hold only blanks. Two of
you will participate. Each participant must choose whichever two of the
handguns they want, aim the guns at each other, and pull one of their two
triggers when I give the sign. Its quite a simple attraction.
Youre insane!!!!!! shouted Higashikawa without thinking.
At first glance, it seemed this was a decent reaction, but Matsumi felt the
organizers would only rejoice at the outburst of impotent rage. The woman
might have been purposefully provoking them, but that might also be too
farfetched.
By the way, the guns have laser pointers attached, so we will know if you
try to aim away. Make sure to aim at the center of the others face before
pulling the trigger.
For an instant, Rachels gaze moved between the handgun and the woman
on the upper floor.
She may have been considering taking the gun and shooting the woman.
But Matsumi doubted it would work. It was the organizers who had
prepared the guns. They would have countermeasures prepared to keep
them from being used against them.
Matsumi looked up at the upper floor.
This woman claimed to be a fulltime employee of Attraction Land.
But Matsumi had never had a proper conversation with those fulltime
employees. It was unknown what the womans purpose was in throwing
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her into this situation. It was unclear if the woman even viewed Matsumi
as on the same side as her.
The woman then clearly met Matsumis gaze.
And she smiled.
Then she announced, The two who will take part in this attraction are the
following: Matsuuumiii Shiraaaauoooooo!! Raacheeeeellll
Skyyyyyydaaaaaaance!!
Ee!!
Rachel let out a voice like a hiccup as her entire body stiffened.
Matsumi silently gritted her teeth. If the explosions had opened a different
path, would a less cruel fate have awaited them? However, thinking on
possibilities that may never have existed would not help.
A catfight like this can only be seen tonight!! The feigned innocence of
these girls is likely to come crumbling down, so I hope youre prepared to
be disillusioned, boy!! Now, let us begin. Both of you must choose two of
these handguns!!
No! frantically shouted Higashikawa to stop the designated girls.
He may have forgotten the simple fact that a raised voice would wear at
peoples nerves in an extreme situation regardless of the intent behind it.
Or perhaps he had not forgotten and was doing it purposefully.
Theyll do anything to enjoy this. Theyll never keep their promise. They
probably all have a real bullet inside so they can laugh at the idiots who
honestly take the challenge!
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No, no.
An odd change suddenly came over the voice of the woman on the upper
floor.
It grew quieter.
It grew eerily sincere.
We strictly adhere to the rules and results of the attractions. It does not
matter if that leads to a sickening happy ending where you all survive.
Before Matsumi and the others could think on it or analyze it, the womans
voice reverted to the same as before.
But whether you believe me or not, the attraction is beginning! If you use
up all your time, you will all be killed!
Shit cursed Higashikawa despite having escaped the attraction himself.
Was he cursing his inability to stop his allies from killing each other or was
he cursing his own relief over having escaped?
If you have not made your preparations within 10 minutes, you will be
killed. Tah dah!! I have a beer case full of Molotov cocktails prepared.
Hm? You cant see them from down there? Well, Ill be tossing a ton of
them down there, so I doubt you will be able to escape. The door wont be
opening either.
Shit!!
Higashikawa was the first one to act.

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Matsumi followed suit and approached the four handguns scattered near
the operating table in the center. Rachel sat on the floor with her face
absolutely pale and remained perfectly motionless.
We have to check, muttered Matsumi more to herself than anyone else.
And then she shouted out because that encouragement had immediately
failed. We have to find some way to tell which ones have a real bullet and
which ones have a blank! If we know how to tell, we will automatically
know if the rules are fair and how to safely clear this attraction!!
All of the handguns were revolvers.
If we can determine which handguns have blanks, we can clear this
attraction with no one dying.
Matsumi picked up one of the handguns and tried to remove the cartridges,
but the cylinder would not open like she had seen in movies.
At first she assumed she simply did not know how to do it, but
Higashikawa shook his head after he tried with a different gun.
Its no good. Theyve been altered so the cylinder wont open.
We cant check the cartridges, so we cant tell which ones are real bullets
and which ones are blanks!
They were revolvers, so the cylinder was made to hold six shots in a
circular pattern. If the bullet aligned with the barrel was viewed as 12
oclock, the bullets at 2 oclock and 10 oclock could be glimpsed by
staring into the holes on the cylinder.
However
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Dammit, they all look the same.

If they could not check, they could not choose between the four guns.
If they simply chose at random, the odds of no one dying were almost
nonexistent. If either of them chose the gun with a real bullet, it was over.
And it was possible one of them would end up with both options holding a
real bullet.
Given the different patterns, the odds of someone dying were 3/4.
That was three times as high as in Russian roulette.
Just under seven minutes to go!

They could not tell which were real bullets and which were blanks just by
looking in from outside.
The odds were too poor to simply choose at random.
There had to be a way.
There had to be some other way of telling apart the four handguns.
Wait.
What?
Do you have something like an eraser? And something like a ruler!!
How is that going to help? All of the guns are the same model, so
measuring their length wont-

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Just do it!! Im not measuring their length!! shouted Matsumi as she

looked over at the operating table in the center of the room. More
accurately, she looked at the four legs supporting it. She grabbed one of
those square rods and pulled hard.
It was affixed to the table with a screw, so it would not budge.
Matsumi looked to Higashikawa and said, Help me tear this leg off!!
Why? What are you going to use it for?
We have a chance if we use it! Hurry!!
Higashikawa did not hold back any longer.
He circled around to where Matsumi was and held the operating table in
place so it would not move. When they worked together, the square rod
seemed to slowly bend. But it was actually the screw holding it in place
beginning to break.
A high pitched snapping sound rang out.
It had bent a bit, but the leg had come off. The operating table fell over
diagonally, but Matsumi did not care.
She took off the leather shoe of her school uniform and placed it on the
floor.
She then carefully placed the center of the operating table leg on top.
It was a seesaw.
Or
Scales?
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Real bullets and blanks dont weigh the same, right? The heavier gun
should be the one with a real bullet inside. We can tell them apart by
weighing them!!
How much time is left!? shouted Higashikawa toward the upper floor.
The organizer woman replied, Just under three minutes.
We can make it, muttered Higashikawa under his breath. His voice then
grew louder. We can make it. We can clear this attraction without anyone
dying!!

Part 4
Meanwhile, Rachel was not watching Matsumi and Higashikawa work as
she sat on the operating room floor.
She was looking towards her feet.
She was looking at the gap between her thighs.
Rachel was not simply frozen there out of fear. She had noticed something.
Something had been written on the operating room floor with a ballpoint
pen. She had sat down so she could read it without the others noticing.
Due to her position, it was hard to read.
But her life could be riding on even the smallest piece of information.
The round writing said the following:
Comparing the weights is an elementary trap, so be careful.
The trick lies in the principle of leverage.
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Ah.
She accidentally let out a voice and briefly panicked over whether Matsumi
or Higashikawa had heard her.
Yes.
The principle of leverage.
Scales only worked when the bar extended equal distances in both
directions from the fulcrum in the middle. So what if those distances were
not equal?
Moving the fulcrum, which in this case was a leather shoe, would be
difficult. With two people working on it, someone would notice the change.
But what about the handguns placed on either end of the bar?
Moving their position by just a few centimeters would be enough to lose
all equality. The lighter blank handguns could be made to look heavier.
Unlike normal scales, there were no plates. It would not be difficult to
casually alter the positions of the handguns slightly.
In other words
If the person measuring it wanted to, they could change the result to
whatever they wanted.
They could create fraudulent results.
They could cheat.
(But they have no reason to do that.)

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Rachel reflexively denied that dreadful thought that had come to her mind.
The five of them were working together to survive and to ruin the
organizers plans for them. She wanted to rely on that wonderful idea.
But
Beware the traitor.
There was the sign beyond the metal bars in the Hell Hospital passageway.
Its powerful message flashed in the back of her mind. She could not
completely deny the possibility. She wanted to but could not.
There was one reason.
There was one reason someone would do that.
(Matsumi-san can give me the two blank handguns and take the two real
ones for herself. Then she will survive no matter which gun I choose at the
last second. But in that case, the gun fired at me has a 100% chance of
being loaded with a real bullet.)
The organizers would be at fault.
They would be seen as having tricked both Matsumi and Rachel.
And so everyones anger toward the organizers would increase, but
Matsumi would not be kicked out of the group. Even if she protected
herself by creating a situation that ensured Rachels death, she could easily
deflect the hatred.
Got it!! The right two have blanks and the left two have real bullets!!
Hurry, Rachel-san! Lets finish this before that woman says the time is up
and throws those Molotov cocktails down here!!
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She felt like she was hearing the voices of demons.

What should she do?
Rachel thought for a moment and finally stood up slowly. She approached
the operating table to ensure the others did not see the small writing on the
floor.
As expected, Matsumi grabbed two handguns and held them out towards
Rachel.
She was keeping Rachel from making the decision.
Be careful. The one in your right hand has a blank and the one in your left
hand has a real bullet. Rachel-san, please dont mix them up. Just think
of it as shooting with your dominant hand.
Um Rachel slowly spoke up and made a suggestion. Both of us have
one with a real bullet and one with a blank, right? We have the same setup,
right?
Y-yeah. Why do you ask?
Sorry, but could we swap guns? These onesumtheyre kind of dirty.
Fine, its the same either way, replied Matsumi as she held the two guns
meant for herself out towards Rachel. The right one is the blank and the
left one is the real one. Its the same as before, so dont get it wrong. Fire
with your right hand on the signal. Got it?
Y-yes.
After Rachel took the two revolvers, Matsumi grabbed the two she had
given to Rachel earlier.
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Higashikawa shouted up towards the upper floor.

Weve chosen! How do we begin the attraction!?
Matsumi-san and Rachel-san, please move against opposite walls. Press
your backs to the walls and aim your guns at each other. If you press the
small button on the grip, the laser pointer will activate. Use that and aim at
each others faces. Failing to do so will get you all killed, so be careful.

Matsumi and Rachel followed their instructions and moved to either end of
the classroom-sized room.
Rachels mind was filled with confusion as she pressed her back against
the wall.
Matsumi had readily swapped out the guns.
If one set had both blank guns and the other had both real guns, that would
have been a fatal move.
Was the idea of a traitor nothing more than seeds of suspicion sown by the
organizers? Had Matsumi and Higashikawa both distributed the guns
properly? If she did as instructed and fired the gun in her right hand, would
they clear the attraction with no one dying?
(But)
A very bad feeling swelled up in the back of Rachels mind.

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She had found that message written in ballpoint pen on the operating room
floor. It had warned of someone cheating using the principle of leverage.
But could she be sure it had been written by the organizers?
In other words
Rachel stared blankly at the girl wearing a school uniform.
Could Matsumi have written that message on the floor while no one was
looking?
Had she intentionally made Rachel suspicious?
Had she lured Rachel into asking to swap out the guns?
She could have divided the four guns into the two blank ones and the two
real ones and then given herself the blanks at first.
Her preparations would be complete once Rachel asked to swap out the
guns out of the fear brought on by the message on the floor.
Matsumi could fake the outcomes of the measurements with a trick using
the principle of leverage. But that still held some risk of suspicion being
turned toward Matsumi once Rachel was killed. After all, Matsumi had
suggested using scales, Matsumi had taken the measurements, and
Matsumi had handed Rachel the handguns.
But what if Rachel made an irregular request?
If that coincidence was added in

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No one would suspect Matsumi of any ill will. If Rachel had not suggested
swapping out the guns, Matsumi would have been the one to die. She
moved from the position of perpetrator to the position of victim.
Matsumi had lured Rachel in.
And Rachel had fallen for it.
Wai-!! shouted Rachel frantically, but the organizer woman spoke up
to cut her off.
The 2nd attraction will now begin. I will start the countdown. When I
reach zero, each of you is to pull your chosen trigger!!
A calm smile could be seen on Matsumis lips.
Was she certain of her victory?
Did she know there was no way she could die?
Three. Two. One!
The count continued.
The guns in Rachels right hand and left hand both felt horribly empty.
She could not win.
No matter which one she shot, she would only be firing a blank. Matsumi
had both real guns. The bullet that flew out along the path of the laser
pointer would certainly blast straight through Rachels forehead. Even if
she swung her head to the side at the last second and successfully evaded
the bullet, the organizers would kill her. Molotov cocktails would rain
down from above and the flames would burn Rachel to death.
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She could not be saved.

She could not survive.
All five of them surviving was the sole means of defeating the malicious
organizers. When Rachel had first heard that, she had been moved, but she
had been unable to pull it off. The malice leaking out from each of them
had eaten away at that ideal.
(In that case!!)
Rachel gritted her teeth.
She had guns in her right hand and left hand.
She poured all her focus into one of them.
(At the very least, I do not want to end this as a mere puppet!!)
Zero!!
The sounds of two gunshots seemed to stab into her heart.

Part 5
As Higashikawa watched on from the side, he seriously thought the shock
would crush his heart.
The noise was so loud he thought something was wrong with his eardrums.
Finally, silence came.
The organizer woman on the upper floor said, And with that, the 2nd
attraction comes to an end. I hope the survivors will enjoy the upcoming
attractions.
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The figure on the upper floor tossed something small through the large gap
in the broken glass. It glittered with a silver light and sounded like a coin
when it landed, so it was likely a key. It would be the key to the door in the
metal bars.
When they looked back up, the woman was gone. She had left.
And then the solid and unmoving door opened on its own.
Hiyama and Kazakami cautiously peered in.
Wh-what happened? We heard one hell of a noise.
Haha ha.
They heard a relaxed and powerless laugh.
It came from Matsumi where she stood against one wall. She was holding a
handgun that still had a bit of smoke rising from it. The tension holding her
in place was gone, so she slid down the wall into a sitting position.
Matsumi had survived.
The 2nd attraction was over and the operating room door had opened.
They had the key to the metal bars blocking the passageway, so they could
continue on.
And
As for Rachel at the opposite wall
Haha?
Her entire face was soaked with sweat and her expression was one of
confusion. It was as if she did not understand how she had survived.
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Higashikawa took a deep breath and said, All of us managed to survive

again. Lets keep this up.
He then walked over to the high school girl named Matsumi.
It was only once he approached that he noticed something.
Her face still held a grim and somehow irritated look.
Take these, she said while pressing her two handguns into
Higashikawas grasp.
Hey.
One of them still has a real bullet inside. Fire it somewhere harmless
Oh, I know. Fire it at the observation seats up above.
She then used her chin to point toward Rachel who had sunk to the floor.
Do the same with hers. Hurry.
?

Part 6
Two gunshots rang out.
Higashikawa had fired the two handguns with a real bullet inside straight
up.
The situation seemed over.
Matsumi grabbed a gun away from Higashikawa and pulled the trigger
while aiming at an empty wall. However, it seemed all but the first shot
had been loaded with blanks. The cylinder turned again and again, but no
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bullets were fired. It would clearly be of no use as a weapon, so she tossed

it to the operating room floor.
Once more, all five of them had survived.
They had no idea when or where the 3rd attraction would begin, but it
seemed they were doing quite well.
However, the situation was not that favorable.
After that game of aiming a gun at each other and pulling the trigger,
Matsumi alone knew the truth.
In the final instant, Rachel had fired the handgun in her left hand.
Rachel had been told the right one had the blank and the left one had the
real bullet.
And yet she had fired the left gun.
Saying she panicked and got mixed up was not an acceptable excuse.
Rachel had clearly chosen the left gun she knew would fire a real bullet.
And Matsumi had predicted it would happen.
She had handed Rachel a safe pair of guns, but Rachel had then asked that
they swap guns. Matsumi had no idea what foundation Rachel was
working off of, but she had clearly grown suspicious. And so Matsumi had
secretly swapped out the guns in her right and left hands before handing
them to Rachel.
That had saved her life.

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If she had faithfully handed over the guns like normal, Matsumi would
have been killed.
Hoo
Giving the guns to Higashikawa afterwards had also had meaning.
A handgun with a real bullet loaded was a powerful weapon, but it was too
dangerous for Rachel to hold. However, Matsumi doubted Rachel would
have agreed if she had demanded Rachel hand over her gun. Anyone would
want a weapon in this situation.
If Matsumi had tried to force Rachel, there had been a risk she would have
been shot.
And so she had left her own guns with Higashikawa first. She had created
an illusion of fairness on the surface. And if Rachel did snap and grow
violent, the danger would fall on Higashikawa rather than Matsumi.
Fortunately, Rachel had agreed to hand her gun over to Higashikawa.
(But)
Matsumi still did not know what had led Rachel to try to shoot her.
The attractions rules gave no reason to want to eliminate the other
participant.
However
Beware the traitor.
The words written on that sign tore into Matsumis chest.

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She doubted those words had been referring to Rachel. The opposite was
more likely. Rachel may have somehow realized a certain fact.
She may have realized that Matsumi Shirauo was on Attraction Lands side.
(Either way)
She quietly thought while overcome with the relief of overcoming that
great hurdle and the tension of the danger she had yet to escape.
(It seems simply accepting that everyone is working together for our
mutual survival will not be enough to survive.)
On the surface, everything appeared to be going well.
But unseen cracks had definitely begun to spread.

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Another Intermission

From the Items Left Behind by a Dead Freelance Writer

(Everything before this point is unreadable due to corruption of the file)

are an organization filled with abnormalities. Despite their flashy activities,

the structure of the organization, their personnel, and the source of their
funds are all wrapped in a veil of darkness.
One of the major reasons for that is due to the members of this
organization.
No one knows how the organization procures new members and what they
gain from it all is unclear. There is no known common factor between the
members. Nationality, race, religion, culture, or money. If a common
thread in any of those categories could be found, it would provide a
starting point towards locating the organizations headquarters or the
foundation that supports the organization.
A few different theories have appeared, but I personally doubt whether
they even have any strict standards. I suspect it is the lack of any such
thing that allows the organization to change so dramatically and disappear
like an illusion when you think you have grabbed onto its tail.
Of course, if they recruit people haphazardly, they have a huge risk of
accidentally taking in someone who talks a little too much or an
undercover officer.
From the little information I have been able to pull together from the final
words of people who have been left half-crippled or near death due to
losing large portions of their body, it seems the organization has many
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different methods of luring people in. They truly have a great variety of
systems for running their operations. Some do not realize they are working
for them while some are tricked into thinking they are working for them.
The usual pyramid structure needed to manage an organization does not
apply.
But I have found a clue to grasping the whole picture of the organization.
I have gained the right to sneak into one of their attractions as a participant.
From the remnants of the attractions I have occasionally discovered, my
odds of survival are slim. But my professional pride will not allow me to
turn away from this organization.
I have set up an archive of all of the files I have gathered.
If I do die, the link with my pacemaker will automatically

(Everything beyond this point is unreadable due to corruption of the file)

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Reaper Game 03

Reaper Game 03: Reversal

Part 1
They approached the door in the metal bars blocking the passageway,
inserted the newly-acquired key in the keyhole, and turned it.
Its open! shouted Kazakami in his work uniform.
They all passed through the metal bars and continued on.
The operating room had more or less confirmed their suspicions, but they
were definitely in a hospital. They found hospital rooms, bathrooms, a
nurse station, and a medical office. There were a few dozen hospital rooms
and they could feel their tension slipping away as they searched through
them one by one. Even in this situation, it was a tedious task.
The different variations in the rooms provided a great many types of
objects. However, all of them were completely normal sights in hospitals.
The square rooms with all but the bare minimum removed had been much
more unnatural.
This fire extinguisher could be used as a weapon.
Hey, I think these floor lamps in the hospital rooms could be used in place
of wooden swords.
Kazakami and Matsumi were selecting object after object and checking the
weight and feel with somehow cheerful voices. They were looking for
weapons. To Hiyama, it seemed less like they wanted something to protect
themselves with and more like the more normal and cluttered areas had
raised their spirits after so many empty areas.
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And she sighed so the others would not notice.

Then she cautiously whispered in Higashikawas ear.
(What do you think?)
(I agree that this is a risk. We do need powerful weapons to oppose our
enemies, but we will all become each others enemies if something causes
the group to split up. If that happens, we might be able to recover if we are
unarmed, but weapons could cause the situation to spiral out of control. On
the other hand,) added Higashikawa, (we cant deny them a weapon if
they say they want one. Doing so could cause the group to fall apart.)
Hiyama completely agreed.
Apparently, the organizers had given them four handguns during the
attraction in the operating room. If they were prepared to give them those
weapons, what could anyone hope to do with a fire extinguisher or floor
lamp? And while those weapons were not enough to overpower the
organizers, they were more than enough to smash an allys head. Kazakami
and Matsumi may have wanted a weapon more for a sense of security than
any practical use, but in Hiyamas eyes, they were gleefully choosing a
suicidal option.
She could have agreed if they had tried to create some sort of protective
equipment like a bulletproof vest, but not this.
It frustrated her that she could not put a stop to it even though she knew
they were putting themselves at a disadvantage.

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As Higashikawa had said, they could not force their opinions on others if
they wished to maintain the group of five. And yet the actions of any one
of them could greatly affect the fates of all five.
Do not be led astray. This has probably all been calculated out. The
organizers want to split us up. This is like the North Wind and the Sun. If
we do not remove our coat even after growing sweaty, we will win.
Thats right.
Hiyama did not completely agree, but she nodded anyway. There was no
need to create more cracks here.
She honestly felt their odds of survival would rise dramatically if all five of
them did not have equal rights to speak.
In other words
She wanted some strong leader to take command of the group.

She heard someone gulp.

It was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Rachel. Despite how gorgeous she
looked, she seemed to have grown even more hesitant to speak after the
attraction in the operating room. Hiyama had been outside the operating
room, so she did not know what the woman had experienced.
The fire extinguisher is probably stronger in a single strike, but reach is
more important for our safety. It would probably be best to take this apart.

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It seemed Kazakami and Matsumi had decided to use the floor lamp. They
removed the lamp cover, pulled off the cord, and grabbed just the 1 meter
50 cm wooden stick.
Hiyama grew even more dejected.
She had no confidence in her ability to get along with those two.
Hey.
Hiyama half-sarcastically felt Higashikawa was an amazing person to be
able to speak to the two of them.
She also felt his presence as an individual was growing more diluted the
more he emphasized the group of five.
Could you try the same thing as before with those sticks?
Hm? What do you mean?
The elevators.
Higashikawas reason for leading Kazakami and Matsumi there was likely
to prevent them from growing violent if provoked.
They had been under a lot of stress. They had been forced to take part in
such unreasonable attractions. If the stopper was removed, it would begin
to overflow.
And now they had acquired makeshift weapons. If they lost their means of
controlling their unstable hearts, many different factors could lead them to
growing violent simply to relieve stress.

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If that meant they attacked the wall or a door, it was no real problem.
However, that same violence could be turned on a human. And the victim
would be Hiyama or one of the others who were still rational.
The five of them headed for the elevators.
The elevator hall next to the nurse station was small, but it still contained
four normal elevators and one freight elevator.
However, to match the Hell Hospital theme, each of the elevators was
completely blocked off by a semicircle of metal bars. The shape reminded
Hiyama of a bird cage.
These metal bars had doors in them too, but they used a card reader. The
key from the operating room could not open them.
However
There we go
Kazakami stuck the wooden stick through the gaps of the metal bars to
reach inside. He was trying to press the elevator button.
The button clicked a few times as he pressed it, but it did not light up.
Doesnt seem to be doing anything.
But if we could get through these bars, do you think we could force open
the elevator door? This isnt an action movie, but we might be able to reach
the first floor if we climb down the shaft.
But we cant find the card key to get through, said Kazakami while
stomping on the floor in frustration.
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Hiyama felt this was a sign he was growing more confident with the
weapon.
We couldnt use the stairs either, cut in Matsumi while holding her own
wooden stick. Lets head that way. There were two sets of emergency
stairs and they were both covered by metal bars. We couldnt go up or
down.
It looks like the key from the operating room only gave us free use of this
floor. First it was the five bombs and the wall. Then it was the four guns
and the key. Now its this entire floor and multiple card readers.
I hope there isnt a limit to how many times we can use the card and
were stuck here forever if we dont use it on the door to the exit.
They crawl through the ducts in action movies, right?
Hiyama hated how they had to go through with each and every childish
suggestion. There was no way a chance like that had been left for them and
yet they had to pull one of the hospital beds out into the hallway, climb up
on it, and remove the duct cover.
It was all a waste of time.
As Hiyama thought on that, Higashikawa stood on top of the bed with
Matsumi sitting on his shoulders peering into the duct.
Hmm, its too dark to tell much, but its too small to fit inside.
Th-then, said Rachel in a frail voice as if to force back her unease. Do
we need to find the card key to continue on?
Hiyama could not believe she thought that
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The enemy had prepared handguns and bombs for the attraction. With such
destructive traps, it was possible they could remove some of the explosive
and use it for themselves. But using it on the obvious metal bars would be
completely foolish. Hiyama could not believe none of the others had
realized they needed to destroy the walls or the floor.
But Kazakami reached his limit on his own. The weapon had given him
more confident, but it had also given him a shorter temper.
Gaaaaaaahhhhhhh!! I cant stand this, I cant stand this, I cant stand
this!! Ive had enough! I cant keep doing what they want again and again!!
H-hey
I said Ive had enough!! The rest of you can do it yourself. Thats how it
was with that last attraction, right!? You can continue on without me. One
of you has to complete the attraction is all!!
After that outburst, Kazakami ran off down the dark hallway with his
wooden stick still in hand. Higashikawa began to run after him, but
Hiyama grabbed his shoulder.
She whispered so Matsumi, the other one with a weapon, could not hear.
(Leave him be. You dont want to break a bone or anything over an angry
outburst, do you?)
After a short pause, they heard noises of destruction in the distance. Rachel
covered her ears with her hands and crouched down. Kazakami was likely
attacking everything nearby in order to pacify his heart that was near
bursting.

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He may have thought he was a strong person, but his driving force was
clearly that of a weak person.
Higashikawa asked a question with the expression of someone looking at
an extraordinarily large pile of laundry.
Wh-what should we do?
As I said, leave him be. Hell run out of breath before long. Once he stops
moving, he will come back to his senses and realize his actions are
meaningless.
But that was only for the brief period before the blood rose to his head
once more.

Part 2
Despite Hiyamas expectations, the sounds of destruction continued for
quite a while from beyond the darkness. Kazakami must have had quite a
bit of strength remaining. Hiyama was coldly impressed that he could
continue destroying without growing tired of it.
She had always had a desire to watch any violent actions from a short
distance away. She had been surprised when she had learned the people
around her were not the same. It seemed normal peoples fields of vision
narrowed when they sensed danger and they lost the ability to think
straight.
She had always felt that actually lowered their chances of survival.

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And she felt as if that state had continued ever since she was forced to take
part in these attractions. She felt unpleasantly focused. It reminded her of
being tired but unable to sleep.
She was not normally such a cold person.
Or at least she wanted to believe she was not.
The four left behind by Kazakami sat on the floor, leaned against the wall,
or otherwise took a comfortable pose to help restore their strength. No one
had suggested it, but they had all naturally started to do it.
Hey, asked Higashikawa.
What is it?
I have no idea what the organizers are after, but they have to be
monitoring us at all times, right? How do you think theyre doing that?
They probably have cameras, transmitters, or other sensors.
But where are they? I havent seen any security cameras
Well, cut in Matsumi sluggishly. Do you know what the lenses on cell
phones and smartphones are like? Theyre practically the size of a pinhole.
They could hide them almost anywhere. Even if we found one or two of
them, we could never destroy all of them. And they could even have
hidden tiny GPS devices on our bodies.

While still crouched on the ground, Rachel glanced over at Matsumi, but
then averted her gaze without saying anything.
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Higashikawa seemed to have noticed it, but he made sure to keep the flow
of the conversation going.
If we used something like paint to cover the walls and floor, do you think
we could cover up all of the tiny camera lenses theyve set up?
Thats a good idea. Im in the perfect mood for spray painting some
graffiti anyway.
At that point, the sounds of destruction finally ceased.
Hiyama and the others exchanged a glance.
Is he done?
I hope so, but could the organizers have done something? said Hiyama in
a tone of voice that made even her shudder.
Rachel jumped in fright when she heard those words. With that reaction,
she may have thought Hiyama actually wanted that to have been what
happened.
But
Hiyama could not deny she would not mind too much.
Finally, they heard the footsteps of someone walking down the dark
hallway.
Was it Kazakami?
Or was it the organizer woman?
They all focused on the darkness and saw
Hey.
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It was Kazakami.
He was quite sweaty and seemed to have learned his lesson.
I guesswellsorry about that. I said a lot of thingsbut I didnt mean
it. Lets work together to escape here. I wont argue against that.
He was lying.
Hiyama was convinced of it.
But as she expected, Higashikawa accepted him back with a slightly stiff
smile. Hiyama felt a headache coming on as she let out a slight sigh and
spoke as nonthreateningly as she could manage.
Do you have a moment?
What?
I remember seeing some wire back over there. It was in a locker for
cleaning supplies in the medical office. I doubt we can use it to pick any
locks, but it might come in handy. I will go get it.
In that case
Before Higashikawa could say something cooperative, Hiyama held her
index finger to her lips.
Ill be fine on my own. The organizers did not appear despite that
rampage of his. Nor did he set off any kind of trap.
Kazakami must have only just now realized that possibility because his
face quickly paled, but Hiyama did not care.
She gave a slight wave and headed down the passageway.
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She did not actually care about the wire.

She wanted some time to think alone.
She had to think about whether she could truly overcome the upcoming
attractions along with that group.

Part 3
Hiyama was a relatively perfect person.
Some of it came naturally to her and some of it was an intentional facade.
It was rare for someone to only have one or the other. In Hiyamas case,
she had set clear values for her goal and worked to achieve them.
This could be seen in her academic history, her occupation, and her
qualifications.
And not all of it was that sort of thing that could be filled out on a form.
Some categories were more approximate such as her personal relations, her
breast size, the feel of her skin, and her weight management. She sought
perfection in everything she could think of that was within reach. She
always sought perfection. Some might view it as a sort of sickness.
The main force driving her toward perfection were the words of a certain
curse.
This is quite something, she muttered in shock within the dark hallway.
The wallpaper had been partially torn up and even the window protected
by the metal bars had been broken. Most of the unlit fluorescent lights had
been broken. With the level of destruction, one would have thought a riot
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had occurred. Hiyama raised her level of caution once more when she saw
how much that man had done on his own.
But she was not afraid of his strength.
She was afraid of how he had not grown tired of the violence until he had
destroyed everything so thoroughly.
That damn deviant, she spat out.
However, her words were surprisingly calm and lacking any real emotion.
Some may have felt those words more sharply than words filled with
obvious hatred or scorn.
And then
The curse came.
She could not tell if it was overflowing from the darkness or from within
herself, but the curse that would suddenly make her suffer had arrived.

It

. Thats her, right?

be helped.

That course

horrible

that

you think?

!!
She heard a strange noise. Despite how calm she was supposed to be, it
took her several seconds to realize it was the sound of her hand grabbing at
her face.
And yet the curse would not end.

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Once it began flowing out, it would not stop until it had taken over
Hiyamas heart.
After all, the higher ups of the university
said
.
The latest

that course

Or
even become
worldwide
.

and even
mistaken.

that girl
. I even heard

Hiyama would not go on a rampage.

She was not the type to force her problems onto others like Kazakami was.
She continued taking shallow breaths for over 20 seconds as she stabilized
her mind. She could feel her heartbeat gradually returning to normal.
(To hell with you. To hell with all of you.)
Treating a criminals family the same as the criminal was a horrible
prejudice, but this curse was even more unreasonable than that. She did not
want to remember what idiot it was that had proposed the idea, but it
seemed wrong to assume such a great connection just because the course
of someones life (their birthplace, living environment, etc.) was similar to
that of a historical criminal. Saying that was no different than saying
everyone who ate meat was a mass murderer or everyone who put three
sugar cubes in their coffee was a rapist.
She wanted to deny it.
She wanted to deny that curse.

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However, she had no intention of arguing against everyone who attacked

her. A pointless argument was exactly what they wanted. And anyone
listening would not think very hard about who was right. She had no
interest in unproductive arguments. Her counterattack had to be
something more effective.
Honestly.
After finally completely sealing the erupting curse, Hiyama calmly came to
a conclusion.
To be blunt, she hated people like Kazakami.
However, the organizers had likely chosen the participants knowing full
well Hiyama would feel that way. After all, the organizers wanted to see
people painfully struggling. She did not know how they had done it, but it
would not surprise her if they had analyzed everyones personalities and
created a group that would not get along.
In fact, they had no reason to select people who could work together.

She could not let herself be manipulated.

She had to remain calm.
She could not let any malice be stirred up within her.
She had to remain the same as always.
The attractions the organizers forced on them were unreasonable to the
extreme. They would only laugh at their pathetic results if they gave in and
acted rashly. She would not let herself do as they expected. She would
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escape the expectations of the organizers who supposedly controlled the

entire situation. She would overcome every problem she was faced with.
She would find an opening and take advantage of it. She would return
home safely.
And she needed help to escape.
She needed that help even if the only option was some hopeless people
who would be nothing but a burden.
Ill be fine, muttered Hiyama.
She had come to a conclusion for the moment. She needed to return to the
elevator hall where Higashikawa and the others were, but she had claimed
to be getting a bundle of wire from the medical office locker. That meant
they would find it odd if she returned without it.
It was annoying, but Hiyama turned toward the medical office.
But then
?
She heard a crunching noise. When Kazakami had broken the window
behind the bars with his wooden stick, the glass shards had scattered across
the dark floor. She had stepped on a shard with her pumps. The shard was
small enough to not puncture the bottom of the shoe.
But Hiyama was not focused on the floor.
Instead
Why is this?
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Part 4
Hiyama did not return.
Higashikawa and the others had no clock, so they initially assumed their
sense of time was off. They assumed not even a few minutes had passed
and the constant tension was making it seem longer.
But they eventually began to think something was wrong.
Hey, said Kazakami. Her name was Hiyama, right? Well, how far was
she going?
She cant have gone too far. Our path is blocked off by the bars.
Then why was she taking so long?
None of them had an answer to that question.
What should we do? Should we go looking for her? suggested
Higashikawa.
But Matsumi frowned from where she sat on the floor and replied, We
dont have to. She might just want to be alone. Or maybe she had to use the
bathroom.
Um said Rachel while crouching and avoiding looking in Matsumis
direction. What if Hiyama-san found some kind way out? If she did
She was not coming back.
It sounded nice if you said she was scouting out ahead on her own.
However, it could also be said she was leaving the other four behind while
heading for the exit.
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Kazakami grew concerned.

W-wait a second!! Then we need to hurry. Hiyama is taking it all for
herself!!
Taking all of what?
Do you really think the organizers will leave the exit open? They might
let the first person through and seal the door afterwards!! What if the card
key can only be used once!?
Nothing like that had happened with the previous attractions and they
could all pass through the door even if the card key could only be used
once, but Kazakami was overwhelmed by the danger he had thought up.
Kazakami had started to subconsciously swing around his weapon a bit, so
Higashikawa agreed to search for Hiyama rather than try to oppose the
man. He doubted there was some convenient way out, though.
Im not going, bluntly said Matsumi who had her own weapon.
Everyone turned toward Rachel.
Her shoulders jumped slightly, but she hesitantly stood up.
From her past statements and actions, she did not seem the type to charge
into danger, but Higashikawa figured she was afraid to be alone with
Matsumi and her weapon.
No one had died in the operating room attraction, but it still must have
been quite a shock for her.
Then lets go. Matsumi-chan was it? If anything happens, just shout.
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Sure thing. And dont call me -chan.

Matsumi did not care about Kazakamis concerns, so she watched the other
three head down the passageway.
As they did, the man in the work uniform began muttering something.
Dammit. Hiyama is going to pay if she went on ahead and left us
behind
Hiyama would want as many survivors as possible just like everyone else,
but that idea seemed completely missing from Kazakamis logic.
Higashikawa felt something odd on his back.
Rachel was nervously grabbing onto his clothes. However, Higashikawa
doubted this had anything to do with her viewing him in a favorable light.
Hiyama had disappeared and both Matsumi and Kazakami held ominous
weapons. The only safe person nearby just so happened to be Higashikawa.
They spotted a figure about 15 meters down the hallway.
It was too dark to see anything in detail, but glass was scattered on the
floor where Kazakami had gone on his rampage. A female silhouette was
visible in the middle of it. This was definitely Hiyama.
However
The figure was not standing.
She was collapsed on the glass-covered floor.
All three of them were confused.

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That confusion was of course partially due to Hiyamas unmoving form

collapsed on the floor with glass shards everywhere.
But that was not all.
The other figure swinging a fire extinguisher up into the air right next to
Hiyama was even more unexpected.
Rachel let out a scream at the top of her lungs.
The figure holding the fire extinguisher turned toward them.
They could now see who it was.
The organizer!! shouted Kazakami.
The woman looked between Higashikawas group and Hiyama before
tossing the fire extinguisher aside and running away as quickly as she
could.
Wait!!
It was of course Kazakami who first shouted out and began pursuing her.
His weapon was nothing more than a floor lamp, but it was enough to
change how he felt. He was able to run off into the darkness the organizer
woman was trying to disappear into.
Higashikawa began to head toward Hiyama, but Rachel gave a strong tug
on his clothes.
He turned around and she shook her head.
He understood where she was coming from.

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After sensing even the slightest hint of violence, she did not want to
approach. She could not handle any more. Higashikawa felt the same.
However
She might not be dead yet. We might be able to save her.
Rachel slowly let go of Higashikawas clothing, returning his freedom.
He ran over to Hiyama, but Rachel did not follow.
The hallway was dark enough that he could not see her injuries with any
detail. But from her silhouette, she at least had no broken limbs, her skull
had not caved in, and she had no other obvious signs of damage.
Are you okay? Hey, can you hear me!?
The organizer woman had been using a fire extinguisher. It was a blunt
weapon. She had likely been aiming for the head. Higashikawa was unsure
if he should shake her, so he settled for shouting at her. He wanted to treat
her, but he did not know what he was supposed to do for a blow to the head.
He doubted cooling her with ice or a compress mattered much in a life-ordeath situation.
Ukh
After Higashikawa had shouted for a short while, Hiyama finally let out a
groan.
But she did not get up.
She may have had a concussion.

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But then Higashikawa heard a cry come from the direction the organizer
woman and Kazakami had disappeared in.
It was a male voice.
Shit!! What is going on!? shouted Kazakami in an irritated voice.
The organizer who controlled the stage may have fought back. Or he may
have fallen into a trap.
Higashikawa wanted all of them to return home alive.
He did not want to leave Hiyama, but he could not ignore Kazakami if his
life was in danger.
Rachel. Rachel!
When he forcefully called her name, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman
jumped in shock while watching on from a short distance.
Look after her for me. Im going to go check on Kazakami!!
Eh? But
If he waited around for every single opinion, he would never get anything
done, so Higashikawa ran off into the darkness without waiting for
Rachels reply.
(But why did this happen?)
Higashikawa thought while rushing along.
(Why did the organizer appear on the same stage as us? Isnt she afraid of
us fighting back? They didnt seem like the type to leave such an opening.)

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They still had not seen the rules of the overall attraction. Perhaps there was
some rule behind the organizer woman appearing at this time.
If so, discovering why the organizer had taken action could lead to
discovering the overall rules and perhaps even a method of reversing the
situation.
Wait. This is
Higashikawa saw a sign and stopped running after Kazakami.
He was at the medical office.
This was where Hiyama had intended to get a bundle of wire.

He took a slight detour before running after Kazakami once more.

He found the man next to the emergency stairs.
Kazakami shouted at Higashikawa as if to send out his frustration over
having the metal bars block his path. He did not kick at the bars, but that
might have been because Hiyama had mentioned the possibility of traps
earlier.
Shit, shit!! We really do need the card key to these bars!!
The emergency staircase headed both up and down. The organizer woman
was catching her breath in that space. Just as Kazakami had said, she held a
thin card in one hand.
They could not reach her like this.

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Now that he was sure of that, Higashikawa placed a hand on Kazakamis

shoulder.
Move.
What are you going to do!? She has the card key. We cant do anything!!
Thats now what Im doing.
Higashikawa pushed Kazakami completely out of the way and approached
the metal bars without worrying about any traps. More specifically, he
approached the small door meant to let people through.
But he was not trying to open the door.
His intention was the exact opposite.
What? said Kazakami in confusion.
The organizer woman who had been trying to escape to another floor spun
around when she realized what was going on.
Higashikawa used the wire he had taken from the medical office to tie
together the metal bars and the bars of the small door. He wrapped the wire
around again and again and again.
It was as if he was locking himself inside the birdcage.
In a way, that was exactly what he was doing. But in another way, it was
the exact opposite of what he was doing.
She left her safe zone and entered our cage. She ran away because she
knows its dangerous standing on the same stage as us. So why did she
take that risk in the first place?
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Higashikawa bent the wire back and forth enough times that it broke off
due to metal fatigue.
After making sure the metal bars were sealed shut, he gave the rest of the
wire to Kazakami.
Seal off the bars in front of the other emergency staircase and the
elevators just in case! That way, the organizers cant reach us!! The
invisible rules to the overall attraction are probably hidden somewhere near
Hiyama. If we can figure those rules out, we wont have to continue feeling
our way blindly through a minefield! Well be able to move freely!!
!!
The organizer woman frantically ran up the emergency staircase and
Kazakami ran toward the other emergency staircase.
If they knew the rules, they could fight back.
In all likelihood, they were done for if they could not make a reversal here.

Part 5
Higashikawa ran back to where they had found Hiyama collapsed on the
floor.
She had still not gotten up. Rachel had stayed by her side without running
away.
There has to be something here. Higashikawa walked right next to
Hiyama and looked all around. Something. Something that will help us
reverse this situation!! She didnt carry her here after attacking. She was
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attacked here, so it has to be something visible here. There has to be some

logical reason the organizer attacked Hiyama here. Some rule!!
But he did not find any revolutionary information.
Due to Kazakamis rampage, the hallways wallpaper was torn up, the
glass supposedly protected by the metal bars was broken, and the unlit
fluorescent lights were broken. Several sharp fragments were scattered on
the ground, so it was a dangerous place to be lying in.
But that was all.
Higashikawa could see nothing that hinted at a special rule. He started to
panic. Sweat poured from his forehead. Some overwhelming rule was
supposed to have shown itself. If he could not find something like that here,
they would continue to be toyed with while not knowing the rules. He had
no proof of it, but that was the future that appeared in his mind.
The sweat pouring from his body only irritated him further.
He used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow, but then he frowned.
Something had caught his attention.
Wheres the wind?
He focused on a single point.
He focused on the window that had been protected by the metal bars.
The glass was broken, so at least some wind should be coming in. So why
is it so stuffy in here?
It may have simply been windless night.
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Despite the season, it may have simply been a hot, calm night.
But
He grabbed at the bars over the window and focused outside once more.
Higashikawa should have been seeing the scenery from the deep darkness
of the hallway about ten stories up.
And yet
What the hell? said Higashikawa in confusion.
There was no change. Despite the night scenery spreading out in front of
him, the air outside the window and inside the window was exactly the
same. The temperature, the humidity, the freshness, the lack of wind, and
everything else were exactly the same. It was as if there was no distinction
between outside and inside. It was as if it was all one giant mass.
And more than that

Higashikawa looked down.

The scene he saw there would have sent a chill down the spine of anyone
who was afraid of heights.
He saw something sparkling there.
Glass shards?
They were likely from when Kazakami had broken the window with his
wooden stick. For some reason, they were unnaturally floating partway up
the 10 story height. No, it was more than that. They threw off the sense of
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distance in the scenery. Those countless glass shards looked completely

out of place in the otherwise perfect scenery.
Could it be?
Could it be?
There isnt any night scenery or ocean outside, muttered Higashikawa
blankly. We arent actually 10 stories up.
He had lost a major assumption.
Higashikawa converted the truth before his eyes into words.
We were only made to think we are!!
Most likely, all of the windows were covered with a semispherical wall. By
adding some trick art onto the inside, they had all been led to think they
were 10 stories up and that they could see the night scenery out the
window.
If it was daytime or the hallway was fully lit by the fluorescent lights, they
may have noticed it right away. But the slight oddities of that scenery were
hard to notice with so little light.
That was also why the emergency staircases and elevators were blocked off
with metal bars. That helped hide that they were not actually 10 stories up.
That was the rule. That was why Hiyama had been attacked. And in that
case
Ive got it.

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Higashikawa entered a random hospital room and disassembled a floor

lamp into a wooden stick like Matsumi and Kazakami had. When Rachel
saw Higashikawa enter the hallway with the weapon, she let out a small
shriek.
But he was not planning to use it on a human being.
Higashikawa stuck the wooden stick through a gap in the bars and pushed
it in.
As expected, it struck something hard that should not have been in that
night scenery.
But it did not stop there.
The wooden stick dug in as if it had pierced through a cardboard box.
When he pulled it out, a thumb-sized hole had opened in the trick art of the
night scenery. Bright light poured in through the hole.
There was something beyond it.
There was a space there.
The organizers were hiding some secret there.
Dammit, dammit!! If only we could do something about these bars!!
Higashikawa let go of the wooden stick and grabbed the bars with both
hands without worrying about possible traps. He poured his full weight
into shaking them back and forth. He knew there was no way that would
move metal bars that were welded into place, but he had to try.
And then something truly bizarre happened.
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With a snapping sound, all of the metal bars broke away from the window
frame.
Wha-?
Higashikawa fell on his ass, but then he realized he did not even have time
to ask questions.
He was falling out the window.
His shoulders forcefully struck the semispherical outer wall that was
covered in trick art.
With the sound of ripping cardboard, Higashikawa rolled beyond that wall.
After being in the dark for so long, the bright lights burned his eyes.
Kh Where am I?
He looked around to find a tidy-looking bar. One wall was covered with a
giant monitor, but it seemed to be used for decorative lighting. The area
also contained a counter and a few round tables. A laptop computer was
prepared in front of each and every chair. They all displayed a map of the
Hell Hospital that Higashikawa and the others had been in with a few
strange dots on it. As expected, it showed no information on any floors
besides the one they had been on. It had not been an actual hospital.
And
His eyes met with someone elses.
She was a college-aged girl with large headphones over her ears.
This was not the organizer woman they had been confronting before.
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However
(If shes here, she must be one of the organizers!!)
Higashikawa picked up his wooden stick from the floor and held it tightly
in his hands. He smelled a slight scent of vanilla. She had clearly been
relaxing at leisure while watching their suffering.
And then a loud voice came from behind him.
Hey, listen to this. While I was wrapping the wire on, the entire set of bars
came off! Wait, what the hell is this!?
It was Kazakami and Matsumi.
Perhaps due to their weapons, they did not hesitate to head through the
hole that Higashikawa had found. And then they spotted the organizer
just as he had.
Belligerence ran through their eyes.
Higashikawa felt he had just seen the moment when pent up anger ripped
away the faade of justice.
Fear ran through the eyes of the headphone-wearing organizer woman.
She frantically looked over to the rooms exit.
But she did not make it in time.
Matsumi threw her wooden stick at her back. An odd cry of pain leaked
from the headphone-wearing womans mouth. She somehow managed not
to trip, but Kazakami had already run up to her.

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He grabbed the headphone-wearing womans hair and forcefully pulled her

to the floor.
Kazakami swung his wooden stick down on her upper body. He did not
hold back and clearly swung it as hard as he could. Matsumi did not stop
him. She picked back up the wooden stick she had thrown and headed
toward the headphone-wearing woman as well.
It was enough violence to make Higashikawa want to turn his back.
But he also felt it was unavoidable.
This was one of the organizers who enjoyed toying with human lives and
forcing these attractions on people. Anyone would want to get back at
someone like that.
Kozue!!
Another door opened.
This time it was the organizer woman who had escaped through the metal
bars of the emergency staircase.
This woman who had showy hair and looked like a cabaret club girl was
the one Higashikawa and the others had faced up until now. However, she
looked so confused that Higashikawa almost questioned whether she really
was the same person.
Wait! We can explain!! Please save Kozue!!

The cabaret club girl frantically tried to approach, but Higashikawa held up
his wooden stick to hold her back. She gritted her teeth, but stayed where
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she was. Meanwhile, Higashikawa could hear a sound similar to a thick

blanket being beaten.
At first glance, their reversal had been a success.
But Higashikawa felt that something was seriously off about the situation.
He felt something leading up to this did not add up.
(I know.)
Suddenly, it came to him.
(They easily gave us four handguns during the operating room attraction.
The organizers must have plenty of weapons. So why? Why arent they
using those overwhelming weapons to hold us back? Even a single
handgun would turn this entire situation around.)
It had been the same when Hiyama was attacked.
Why had the woman used a fire extinguisher? The organizers could freely
use bombs and guns, so they should have been able to kill Hiyama much
more easily and certainly.
(Something isnt right. This is odd. It was also strange how fragile the bars
over the window were. And if they had simply made the semicircular wall
outside the window out of concrete, we couldnt have done anything even
if we caught on to the trick. And Kazakami said the same thing happened
with the other bars. Its almost as if)
Suddenly, Higashikawa noticed a corkboard on one wall.
An A4 piece of paper pinned to it said the following:
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Player 1:
Higashikawa Mamoru.
Hiyama Tomoko.
Kazakami Shinzou.
Matsumi Shirauo.
Rachel Skydance.
That required no explanation. It was a list of the participants in the
attraction. Photos of their faces could be seen near the printout.
But that was not the issue.
Next to it was a list of other names.
At first, he thought it was a list of the organizers names.
However
Player 2:
Anzai Kyousuke.
Harumi Quartervalley.
Hasegawa Hotaru.
Kusaka Kozue.
Yakushiji Aisu.
Player2? muttered Higashikawa before feeling an unpleasant sweat.
He finally realized something.
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He caught on to a certain malice.

He learned of the cruelty of the true organizers who controlled the entire
attraction.
No. Wait, Kazakami! Matsumi!! Dont kill her!!
What!? What are you saying? Were done for if we dont turn this around!
And you have no right to tell me what to do!!
It was partially Higashikawas fault this had happened. He had prevented
the five of them from fighting amongst themselves by turning all of their
hatred toward the organizers. He had guided Kazakamis violent nature in
that direction.
But the true organizers may have expected even that.
You have to stop!!
Why!?
She is not one of the real organizers! Shes from a different group of
players taking part in this attraction!!
What?
Kazakami and Matsumi both turned toward Higashikawa.
The girl named Kozue who had been pummeled again and again by those
wooden sticks was lying on the ground and only faintly breathing.
Could she still be saved?
Higashikawa did not know, but he had to at least ensure she was not
injured any further.
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After all
The real organizers planned for us to escape like this! They let us escape
so we would turn our anger on the first people we met. There was no other
way for us to get past the bars on the windows or hallways. We thought the
Hell Hospital was the stage, but a larger stage had been built around that.
Were all trapped inside while split up into different groups!! They want us
to kill innocent people without even being told to!!

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Records of Player 2's Actions

Records of Player 2's Actions

It all started with a wanted ad posted on a bulletin board on campus.
Harumi, one of that group of four friends, showed interest in it and they
forced another student named Anzai Kyousuke to come along because they
felt safer with a guy going along. And so they had arrived at the world
famous amusement park called Attraction Land to monitor some new
attractions.
While there, they had been knocked unconscious with some kind of drug
and found themselves in some sort of facility when they came to.
The organizers ordered them to take command over another group called
Player 1. They were informed of the window weak point and then told to
have Player 1 complete a set number of attractions without noticing that
weak point. If they succeeded, all five members of Player 2 would be set
free. That was what they had been told.
And if they failed, every member of both Player 1 and Player 2 would be
killed.
To truly save everyone, Player 2 had to administer the attractions perfectly
and Player 1 had to clear them all. That was the only way.
Kozue, Aisu, and the others had of course been left speechless when they
learned what the attractions entailed.
The members of Player 1 would obviously all die if they went through
those attractions again and again.

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But the five members of Player 2 had been ultimately unable to resist. If
they did, they would be killed. And they knew the organizers could make
good on their threat. Learning that all of the videos they had been shown
were real had made them painfully aware of that.
All Player 2 was able to do was follow the organizers orders and force
Player 1 to take part in the attractions while praying they survived.
However, they had not simply assumed they would be safely released if
they did nothing more than follow their orders. The five members of Player
2 had split into two groups. One group had administered the attractions
while the other searched the building in hopes of finding an exit.
Anzai, Harumi, and Hotaru had been in the search group.
Kozue and Aisu had been in the attraction group.
The overall attraction using Player 1 and Player 2 had ended with Player
1s victory because they had found the exit.
What had led to Player 2s defeat?
Was it because all five of them had not worked to crush Player 1?
Or was it because they had made excuses to themselves while
administering those attractions that cornered Player 1?

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Reaper Game 04: Natural Enemy

Part 1
Kozue!!
The people who ran in shouting that name were likely the other members
of Player 2. They were three college-aged men and women. They circled
around where Kozue was collapsed on the floor and then glared at
Higashikawa and the others with intense hostility.
But one woman of Player 2 had beaten down Hiyama.
Hiyama entered the bar outside the Hell Hospital while propped up by
Rachels shoulder. When Player 2 saw the trail of red blood flowing from
Hiyamas temple, they held back the comments they were about to let fly.

The two groups glared at each other.

As far as direct damage went, Player 1 and Player 2 had both had a single
woman injured. The amount of damage was identical, so it seemed neither
side could blame the other.
However
(No. That isnt how it works.)
Higashikawa could feel a strained atmosphere filling the bar.
Anger, hatred, and resentment could not be cancelled out like that.
Regardless of the level of actual damage, it would continue flowing out
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until the person was satisfied. Even a soldier who had mowed down
countless guerrillas or terrorists would be overwhelmed with hatred if one
of his comrades in arms was killed.
One could only hold back ones emotions with reason when in a situation
where acting out of pure emotion would most definitely lead to a worse
situation.
In most cases, the police, military, or prisons played the role that held
people back. But none of those things were present here, so the brakes that
controlled their overflowing emotions were not functioning properly.
If they threw insults at each other and grabbed their weapons, the situation
could quickly become bloody for everyone involved.
(The ones who hold the key to a bloodless resolution are)
Higashikawa glanced over at Hiyama.
And then at Kozue whose breathing was very shallow.
The resentment and hatred held by both Player 1 and Player 2 was based in
those two injured women.
If those two direct victims could tell everyone they did not want an attack
on their behalf, the other members would lose their justification for letting
their emotions explode out.
Of course, logic did not always apply when it came to human emotion.
However, if someone attacked without that justification, the entire situation
would be different. Instead of a confrontation between Player 1 and Player

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2, it would be a confrontation between that one person and the nine other
members of Player 1 and Player 2.
A fight with makeshift weapons between two groups of five would be a
disaster.
But what about nine against one?
With that overwhelming difference, they might be able to restrain the one
person without injuring them too badly.
If everyone retained their right to speak, a natural structure would form that
could act in place of the police and restrain anyone who grew violent.
Ideally, they could do that without creating a dictator, but

Whether Hiyama and Kozue realized their importance or not, they averted
their gaze when Higashikawa looked toward them.
It was no good.
Higashikawa then heard a slight noise. It was the sound of Kazakami
taking a slight step forward. As Player 2 was made up of four women and
one man, the college-aged man was naturally the one who responded by
stepping slightly forward himself. If the information on the corkboard was
accurate, his name was Anzai Kyousuke.
The situation was going to explode.

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The atmosphere reminded Higashikawa of a balloon filled with too much

air.
(Hiyama and Kusaka Kozue are not going to do anything. But the idea of
changing this from 5 against 5 to 9 against 1 wasnt a bad one. Is there any
way I can do it? Is there any way to lead them to that same result without
using the two direct victims!?)
Higashikawa had disassembled a floor lamp to create the hole out of the
Hell Hospital. In other words, he held a weapon.
He tightened his grip on it and took a deep breath.
And he spoke.
Listen. I dont want to die here.
As expected, Kazakami and Anzai both turned hostile eyes in
Higashikawas direction.
Whats your point?
Youre thinking the same thing, arent you? If either Player 1 or Player 2
puts their hands up in surrender, we can achieve safety.
Higashikawa grinned when he heard Anzai say that.
This would work.
He was willing to talk. Since Anzai had not yelled or attacked without
listening at all, the situation was better than it might have been.
Yes.
Trying to be idealistic would help nothing here.
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Saying something that would reach none of them would simply confuse the
situation.
And so
Higashikawa Mamoru pointed his handmade weapon straight forward.
I was thinking the same thing. Which is why Im doing this.
He pointed his weapon at Kazakami who was still on the verge of attacking
Player 2.
He pointed his weapon at a member of Player 1 who should have been his
comrade.
Everyone in the bar froze.
Kazakami was the one with the weapon pointed at him, but everyone
including Matsumi, Rachel, and the five of Player 2 all gasped.
Before anyone could do anything else, Higashikawa continued to speak.
If he did not take the initiative here, bloodshed would be unavoidable.
Who knows what will happen if we fight 5 against 5. But what if that
balance is broken? I dont care whether Im with Player 1 or Player 2. Ill
join the winning side. Ill join the side that lets me survive. So put your
weapon down, Kazakami. Or do you want to take on the rest of us by
yourself?
Damn you. I thought we were on the same side.
The organizers decided that, not me. After saying that, Higashikawa then
pointed his weapon at Anzai Kyousuke of Player 2. And if you decide to
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fight, Ill be Player 2s enemy. Let me be blunt. You all have the advantage
while Im sticking with Player 2. That destroys the five against five
structure. Do you really want to give that up just to begin a 50/50 fight to
the death? Wouldnt it be better to keep the odds on your side?
Tch.
Anzai clicked his tongue and took a step back.
After seeing that, Higashikawa questioned the five members of Player 2
once more.
We need to exchange information if we are to escape this place alive. Not
that I think we have much useful information we could give the people
who have been monitoring us this whole time.
Understood.
He had moved from Player 1 to Player 2.
They had escaped the bloodshed for the time being, but a strained
atmosphere still filled the bar. Before Higashikawa could walk over,
Hiyama whispered in his ear.
(Thank you for that.)
However
(But there was a chance you could have been attacked by everyone else
for doing that. Do not carelessly make that sort of choice.)
A chill ran down his spine.
Player 1 could have easily hated him as a simple traitor.
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Player 2 had no real reason to accept in a traitor.

He could have been rejected by both groups.
That would create a situation of nine against one.
The exact situation Higashikawa Mamoru had set up as a penalty could
have been forced onto him.

Part 2
The plain-looking male college student was Anzai Kyousuke.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman who used slightly-broken Japanese
was Harumi.
The tall beautiful woman who had long black hair and gave a cool-headed
impression was Hotaru.
The woman wearing headphones and bandages was Kozue.
The girl with a showy hairstyle who would have fit in at a cabaret club was
Aisu.
The above five members of Player 2 introduced themselves. Unlike
Higashikawa and the others of Player 1, they all attended the same
university and had known each other before taking part in this attraction.
Player 1 had been required to construct their interpersonal relationships
from the ground up under such extreme situations, so they felt a bit jealous
of Player 2.
However, this was a situation where a mistake would get someone killed.
When all of the possible deaths would be someone you knew, the situation
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could be seen as even worse than simply having to be suspicious of

everyone.
This way.
Higashikawa followed Anzai out of the bar.
Harumi and Hotaru went with them. Kozue was injured and Aisu was
remaining in the bar to treat her.
The scenery changed dramatically upon leaving through the door.
What?
Its a supermarket or a giant shopping center. Thats what it looks like
anyway.
Unlike the Hell Hospital, this area was quite large and brightly illuminated
by fluorescent lights. It looked two or three times as large as a school gym.
Shelves filled with precooked food and seasonings were lined up like the
bookshelves of a school library or the shoe lockers in a school entrance.
Perishable foods like vegetables and fish were displayed along the outer
perimeter.
Hotaru, the tall woman, spoke while maintaining a set distance from
Higashikawa.
Do you perhaps find this place to be familiar?
Familiar? No, wait. Higashikawa frowned. And then it hit him. This
is a lot like one of the places in the attraction monitor videos. What was
this one? I think it was the one with stopping someones heart and reviving
them with an AED.
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That attraction had taken place in a large supermarket.

In that case
There are more, added the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Harumi as she
pointed in one direction.
There was an employee door near the perishable foods.
Higashikawa opened the door and found something completely different.
It looked like a standard room from a multi-tenant building.
All of the furniture had been removed, so the square space looked like a
concrete cage.
He did not need to think about where he had seen this before.
A special tool was set up prominently in the center of the room.
A guillotine
It had no blood on it and the blade shined as if it was brand new, so
Higashikawa could not tell if it had actually been used in an attraction or
not.
Anzai let out a heavy sigh and said, There are a few other attraction stages.
Or at least rooms altered to resemble them. But unsurprisingly, we havent
found that domed stadium or Corpse Island.
The stages that are too large to fit indoors might be nearby outside, said
Hotaru while fidgeting with her black hair.
That idea gave Higashikawa a very bad feeling.

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So weve been brought to the place that soaked up all of that blood in
those attractions?
The only place that makes no sense is the Hell Hospital, said Harumi
with a shrug. We never saw it in any of those attraction movies.
Come to think of it
The Hell Hospital had originally been the location where lobotomies were
performed. That likely had nothing to do with these attractions. And if they
were going to create an attraction for the Hell Hospitals operating room, it
would normally involve sadistic rules involving surgical equipment.
Anzai cut in to say, At any rate, the person behind this had to have been
involved in incidents all across Japan to acquire those videos.
All across Japan?
Thats right.
But I thought all of the attraction stages were here?
The Hell Hospital had an original. The actual incident happened there. In
that case, doesnt it make sense to assume everything else here is a
reproduction of the facilities in which incidents across Japan happened?
The detail of these stages is too much to simply be basing it off of
information from talk shows or tabloids. I get the feeling whoever is behind
this was involved in the original incidents.
So they first cause these horrible incidents around Japan and then create
an identical stage here?
Yes, look.
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Anzai pointed toward the guillotine in the center of the room.

The blade was glittering beautifully in the light.
Hotaru nodded and said, It is possible that bunny girl was involved behind
the scenes with the Hell Hospital incident. It is almost as if they are
causing these incidents just to increase the value of this place.
If that was the case
Higashikawa bluntly stated the question that floated up in his mind.
But what do they hope to gain by gathering these model rooms?
We have not figured that part out yet, said Harumi.
It was true that the incident in the real Hell Hospital had been very
different from the attraction Higashikawa and the others had been forced to
go through using those handguns.
The stage had been thoroughly arranged and fine-tuned to perfection, but
then the most important pillar had been switched out with something else.
Higashikawa almost groaned as he said, It just doesnt fit. Could there be
a meaning in having it not make sense?
Not make sense, hm? muttered Anzai quietly.
But unlike Higashikawa who was completely at a loss, Anzai almost
sounded like that had given him an idea.
Hotaru sighed.
If you include those monitor videos, this is an incredibly large scale
project. Whoever is behind this must find it to be very important.
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They checked through the facility for a bit longer, but they could not find
any sort of exit.
They found a few doors that would not open, but they would not budge no
matter how hard they pushed or pulled. They began to suspect the doors
had been sealed up with concrete after Player 1 and Player 2 had been
thrown in or that the doors were only a part of the wall made to look like a
door.
But the people behind this had to have gotten in here to set this place up,
right? said Higashikawa.
We just have to pray they didnt seal up the single exit with concrete after
the preparations were complete, replied Anzai.
There might be a secret door! suggested Harumi.
Even if there is, they would have at least locked it, pointed out Hotaru.
They could find no hint, so they turned around to return to the bar.
But on their way, they found someone rummaging through the shelves in
the shopping mall. It was the college-aged cabaret club girl. Higashikawa
was fairly certain her name was Yakushiji Aisu. She threw several small
boxes into the cart next to her.
Higashikawa honestly asked, What are you doing?
I need bandages and disinfectant to treat Kozue and the other womans
wounds. Fortunately, we have plenty to work with here. We need to take
whatever we can use.
Higashikawa was not the only one to frown at that.
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Hotaru gave a cautious look around and said, Can we really use the
products here? What if they have been tampered with?
That is of course a possibility. But if we use some reagents, we can tell if
its safe or not.
Reagents?
Anzai seemed confused, but Aisu continued as if it was nothing.
Even kids in elementary school know purple cabbage can be used in place
of litmus paper. You can test for quite a lot of things with just some
everyday items.
From the way Aisu spoke, it was clear this was not something she just had
a passing knowledge of. It was possible she was in the collage of science at
her university.
Hotaru placed her index finger on her chin and tilted her head slightly.
So do you think you can manage?
Just leave it to me, replied Aisu offhandedly before adding something
else in a quieter voice. And I need to make sure to treat that Hiyama
woman. Even if I didnt have much of a choice, I still hit her with that fire
extinguisher.
Higashikawa and the others filled the cart with the fruits, vegetables, and
seasonings she indicated. Higashikawa had no idea how each of them
could be made into a reagent.
After gathering what they needed, they headed back to the bar.

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The high school girl named Matsumi frowned when she saw the full
shopping cart.
Whats all this? Is it time to eat?
Treating the injured comes first. Lets see, I need to create some reagents,
so first I need this portable camping stove
After Yakushiji Aisu, the science student who would fit in at a cabaret club,
said that, Kazakami grabbed an apple from the shopping cart and bit into it.
This isnt all that fresh. Its really dry.
Didnt I just say I need those to make reagents out of!? What if its
poisoned!?
Poisoned!? Wait...Is that why it tastes so bad!?
At least you seem to have plenty of energy! said Harumi.
Yakushiji Aisu prepared the reagents almost entirely on her own. She
chopped and squeezed out vegetables and roasted them on the portable
stove, but Higashikawa could not imagine what components she was trying
to draw out.
After she finally confirmed the safety of the disinfectant and bandages, she
began treating the injured.
First came Kusaka Kozue.
Gh!! Th-that stings. That really stings!!

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Yes, yes, but youre not a child that needs a shampoo hat. In fact, Ive
heard people who are truly in bad shape do not feel any pain. This means
youre doing quite well.
At least you seem to have plenty of energy!
Harumi, I dont think we can get through this with that alone!!
And then Hiyama Tomoko.
She had received a blow to the head, so Aisu simply arbitrarily applied the
disinfectant and bandages and then pressed a bag filled with ice against her
head.
However, it seemed even that little bit helped a lot.
Hiyama brought her hand up to the bag of ice Higashikawa was holding in
place and then sighed.
Are you okay? he asked.
I feel fully conscious and my senses have not numbed. I am no expert, but
I think I should be fine.
But you were hit on the head, said Matsumi.
Rachel also spoke up from a short distance away.
I-if only you could get a proper examination.
Either way, we have to get out of here first, said Kazakami offhandedly
before grabbing a snack out of the shopping cart.
Yakushiji Aisu had deemed the food safe, so they could eat it without
worrying.
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The biggest surprise came from Player 2. Hasegawa Hotaru, the tall college
girl with long black hair, opened a bag of sugary cereal. Higashikawa had
gotten the impression she was more of a cool beauty than that.
While being treated, Kusaka Kozue spoke with a distant look in her eyes.
Hotaru is a romanticist.
That has nothing to do with hunger.
Thats right, it doesnt! So dont hog that sugary cereal, Hotaru. Pass it
over here!!
I may be in liberal arts, but Im not above punching someone.
Hey, are you sure shes a romanticist?
After the two injured people had been treated, their attention naturally
turned toward the leftover products. Higashikawa had not expected to be
hungry in a situation like this, but his stomach quickly started demanding
food after he took a bite of canned pineapple.
With a meaningless triumphant look, Kazakami said, See? You really are
hungry!!
Maybe our mental hunger and physical hunger are a bit out of sync
Come to think of it, how long has it been since all this began? muttered
Rachel as she nibbled on the edge of a rusk.
The little tidbits of conversation gradually grew.
That was a horrible job

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Really, we should have been more suspicious when Harumi told us about
the job! Shes the type to politely step on every single landmine!!
Hey, it was not my fault. Tell them, Anzai-kun!
I suppose if you compare it to that corpse-washing job at the hospital, that
tuna-gathering job at the train station, or that deep forest search party
What kind of ridiculous world have the two of you been living in while
we havent seen you?
The conversation naturally spread through the members of Player 2 first.
They had already known each other, so their threshold was of course lower
than that of the Player 1 members who had only just met.
With a sports drink in hand, Matsumi sat down next to Higashikawa who
was sitting on the floor battling a can of pineapples. While showing a bit of
concern about her short skirt, she said, It seems they all go to the same
university.
Yeah?
But we had no idea who anyone was. We could have lied during our
introductions.
Higashikawa wondered why she was bringing that up now.
He did not catch on to how odd it was that she felt the need to state
something that should be obvious.
Which is why he smoothly replied, We somehow managed to work
together. We managed to rely on each other.

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Matsumi glanced over at Higashikawa. We dont know anyones

background.
Does that really matter? Our academic backgrounds and savings mean
nothing here. It doesnt matter what kind of titles we have.
Then
Matsumi started to say something, but she trailed off.
She looked around cautiously before speaking in a lower voice.
What if one of the organizers is mixed in with us?
Eh? But that cant be, can it? muttered Higashikawa as if the possibility
had only occurred to him now. And then, We would need to find out
where they stand. Im willing to use anyone that might be useful.
You idiot. We should just gang up on them and beat them to a pulp.
I doubt this situation is set up so that would help us. And from the way
you put it, we wouldnt know why theyre mixed in.
Why theyre mixed in?
Matsumi frowned and Higashikawa used his chin to point at the members
of Player 2.
Remember what happened with them? If this hypothetical person is a real
spy or theyre trying to get in our way, thats one thing. But what if they
were thrown into this attraction as a penalty for betraying the organizers or
something? I doubt we would actually be able to make an ally of them, but
they would make a reliable ally if we could. They would know the
organizers methods and any hidden circumstances.
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Hm.
Matsumi sipped on her sports drink and looked away from Higashikawa
for some reason.
She then slowly scooted away from him while still sitting.
Youre too soft.
?
Higashikawa was confused.
And then
It was as if they had waited for the moment when they let their guard down
due to the minimal first aid and food.
A change came over the laptops placed in front of the three chairs at each
of the several round tables.
The information and images from the Hell Hospital disappeared and they
all began displaying the same image.
That image was
Ha haaa haaa!! Oh, dear. What a shame. The attraction to lead Player 1
and Player 2 to kill each other ended in failure.
It was a face they all recognized.
However, they had never actually met this person.
Before being taken here, they had seen this person in charge of those
countless deadly attractions shown in the monitor videos.
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The bunny girl!!

Thank you, Captain Obvious. But Higashikawa-san, you and the rest of
Player 1 setting foot in the bar holds great meaning. And Im sure Player 2
knows very well what that is.
!!
Aisu, the woman who looked like cabaret club girl and had been handling
the attractions for Player 1, gave a frightened start. Were they to receive
some sort of punishment if the attraction failed?
But we have our own circumstances, continued the bunny girl. This is
still not enough for us. What a problem, what a problem.
What are you saying?
You dont need to know. Anyway, we will give you a chance to get back
in the game. I will personally let you enjoy a top rate attraction. You
should thank me from the bottom of your hearts.
An attraction.
An unpleasant feeling ran down Higashikawas spine as soon as he heard
that term. And he was likely not alone. In a very short period of time, the
meaning of that word had changed drastically.
But the bunny girl on the screens did not stop speaking.
She could not be stopped.
With a smile on her face, she continued playing the role of host.
Now then, pay careful attention to the giant monitor to your left.
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The room was made to look like a bar and one wall was covered by a giant
monitor used for decorative lighting.
Higashikawa did not want to look.
His peripheral vision was enough to tell him it showed a close up of the
bunny girl. And he knew it would soon be used to display some horrible,
inhumane, and nonsensical rules.
But what actually happened greatly exceeded his expectations.
With a great noise, the giant monitor suddenly burst apart and the bunny
girl jumped out.
W-wwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?
All of them cried out in surprise.
But Kazakamis cry as he fell to the ground in shock drowned out all the
rest.
Meanwhile, the bunny girl lightheartedly wiggled her hips back and forth.
Fwah hah hah!! Thanks for the nice reaction. Kazakami-san, you didnt
piss yourself, did you?
Fweh!? Wha-? You? Wha-? From the screen!?
Cmon. This isnt a horror movie. There was a small room behind a flat
screen monitor.
!!!???
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Kazakamis mouth wordlessly flapped opened and closed while too

overwhelmed to move.
Meanwhile, a hand grabbed the wooden stick from a disassembled floor
lamp that Kazakami had dropped.
It was Anzai Kyousuke, the only male member of Player 2.
However
The bunny girl did not even look in his direction.
Aaanzaaai-shwaaan.

She spoke just before he charged at her.

That was all it took for Anzais shoulders to jump.
You could view this situation as a question. Is that really your answer,
Anzai-san?
Myanswer?
What I mean is
The bunny girl finally looked toward Anzai.
But only with a sidelong glance.
The oozing color in her eyes held him in place.
If you gang up on me when I suddenly appear, do you really think you
will all be able to escape safely? Is that how you think this attraction
works? Do you think the rules are that simple?
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The attraction.
The rules.
Both Player 1 and Player 2 knew all too well what the penalty was for
breaking those rules.
No one had explained the rules to them.
And yet they would be penalized if they stepped outside of them.
Not knowing the rules meant they could not even try to outwit the maker of
the rules. They were at an overwhelming disadvantage.
Do it, muttered Kazakami as he sat on the floor. His voice quickly
grew into an explosive shout. Do it!! The piece of shit toying with our
lives is standing right there! She isnt on a screen or behind some
protective wall. Shes right here!! So!!
Oh, dear. Kazakami-san, you become a lot more forceful as soon as it
isnt you who will be dirtying your hands. It may be against the rules, but it
will of course not be you who is punished. Not you.
She insisted on repeating those last two words.
As if to shake off those words, Hotaru from Player 2 spoke up.
You are one of the organizers, so whatever the rules are, wont this
ridiculous attraction end as long as we neutralize you?
Neutralize! Oh, what a wonderful word!! You never say defeat or kill,
so you feel no guilt!! Allies of justice find that word so useful!! But,
added the bunny girl, what makes you think I am one of the organizers?
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Those words seemed to make all of their hearts contract unnaturally tight.
The ten members of Player 1 and Player 2 had been divided up by the
organizers and forced into an unreasonable conflict with each other.
Cruelty could be seen in the entire setup.
Well, Ill admit I am not some poor victim, but do you really think a
soldier on the front lines controls everything? In a situation like this where
you beat people up the instant you find them, like Kusaka Kozue-san here?
Do you really think the person who controls everything would leave safety
to come here? Surely that is not your answer.
Yes.
Preparing this stage and gathering the ten of them did not seem possible for
an individual. Some powerful organization existed behind the bunny girl.
And those organizers had created the attractions rules and were now
ensuring it was carried out.
Killing the bunny girl would not bring this to an end.
And if the attraction continued after her death, they would of course be
penalized for it.
Otherwise, the bunny girl would never had left safety.
They simply had to think of it from her point of view.
What idiot would come unarmed to a scene where she was outnumbered?
Who would choose that?
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Okay. If you have all come to your own conclusions, it is time to see if
you can stay in the game.
Hey, wait a second. We-!!
Higashikawa-san? the bunny girl grinned. You are free to choose not to
participate. However, think of this like a quiz show. Can a performer win if
he is not sitting in the answer seat? No matter how smart he is, he has no
chance of victory if he cannot press the answer button.
And
What did it mean if they lost in this attraction?

None of them could move.

They had free use of all four limbs and yet none of them could move an
inch.
The bunny girl alone could move. She lightheartedly toyed with one long
ear of her costume.
Okay, lets get the preparations over with. Your names have been entered
into the drinking counter. Think of the spot with your name as your answer
seat for the quiz. Please go stand in your spot.
The ten of them all exchanged a glance.
This was the final line.
Would they rebel or would they obey?

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While propping herself up on Rachels shoulder, Hiyama weakly shook her

head.
We have too little information. The penalty could be our deaths.
But if we take her hostage
Higashikawa-saaan. Is that your answer? Well, if it is, then do as you like.
The bunny girl brought her hands behind her back, turned her back to
Higashikawa, and held her hands out toward him while wiggling her butt
back and forth.
She seemed to be just waiting for someone to break the rules.
After finally getting over his shock, Kazakami slowly stood up, but
Matsumi silently held out an arm to block his path.
She was telling him not to give into the temptation.
Even if they were going to rebel, this was not the time.
The ten members of both Player 1 and Player 2 all stood in front of their
answer seats.
The bunny girl smiled and said, Okay, the preparations are complete.
She clapped her hands together in front of her chest.
And she tilted her head to the side slightly.
Just so you know, there was no rule protecting me here.
As soon as she said that, all stability disappeared below Higashikawas feet.
It was a pitfall. By the time he realized it, he had completely vanished from
the bar.
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And it was not just him.

All ten of them had fallen at the exact same moment.
Wha-!?
After falling about three meters, Higashikawas fall ended abruptly. He
was dangling in midair while wrapped in some kind of transparent film that
was hanging from a thick wire.
This was like a giant version of the plastic bags used to hold goldfish
caught in a festival goldfish scooping game.
Higashikawas body weight had caused the wire to tightly close off the
opening of the bag, so he had no way out. And he was not about to try to
break his way through the thick plastic material.
The reason for this was quite simple.
Y-youre kidding me!!
It was Kozue who managed to force those words out through her dry throat.
She was looking straight down.
All that could be seen there was a deep darkness. No floor or ground was
visible. It was unclear how deep the pit was, but it was at least more than
10 or 20 meters. It was blatantly obvious what would happen to someone
dropped from that height.
A great ravine.
Or a window washers scaffold.

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The height brought those images strongly to mind. That overwhelming

depth, the feeling of dangling from a single wire, and the unsteady footing
of plastic all filled them with terror.
The bunny girls voice could be heard coming from somewhere.
Now then. All of you should have a single card in your bag. It is an
important item, so handle it with care.
Higashikawa felt around in the darkness and felt something solid. It was
hard to see in the dim light, but it seemed to be a card with red on one side
and black on the opposite side. It had no numbers, symbols, or illustrations.
What is this card? muttered Kazakami.
The bunny girl replied, The action you must take is simple, but the rules
are a bit complicated. I will not repeat myself, so please pay close
attention.
What are you going to have us do? said Harumi.
On my signal, all of you are to hold your card out. Itll be a ready, set,
go! kind of thing. But it is up to you which side of the card you have
facing forward. The next part is very important.
And
She explained the worst possible rules.
Anyone who chooses red will survive. But if everyone chooses red, you
will all be killed, so be careful. Anyone who chooses black will be killed.
But if everyone chooses black, every single one of you will survive. If you
do not all choose the same color, only those who chose black will be killed.
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But Anzai was bewildered as he dangled in midair like the others.

But anyone would choose red in that situation! That ensures you survive!
How is this an attraction!?
But if you all choose red, you all die. If you all take the easy path, you
will all be killed.
But exclaimed Aisu while at a loss for words.
If nine of the ten chose red, the greatest number could be saved. However,
if that last person chose red too, there would be zero survivors.
They would all be killed.
In this situation, their wire would likely be severed to send them to the
bottom of the abyss.
Uuh groaned Hiyama.
This was probably more than just her wounds hurting. She may have
imagined something unpleasant.
Higashikawa had done the same. He had pictured the scene of a tomato in a
plastic bag smashing against asphalt. The color red was splattered across
the inside of the transparent plastic.
B-but if we all choose black, we all live, right? said Matsumi who was
sitting in the bottom of her bag out of concern for her miniskirt. So we
just all have to choose black, right?
Kazakami mockingly replied, If nine of us choose black and the last
person chooses red, its all over! Nine of us die and the traitor gets to live
on. Red is a sure thing! Youll definitely be saved!! We have no guarantee
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that all of us would be able to resist that sure thing when it comes down to
it!
Well, it seems you understand the situation, said the bunny girl. Will
you try for all black and make fools of yourselves or will you compromise
with red and die? Which way you take this is part of the attraction!
The bunny girl seemed to be enjoying herself.
It was as if this suffering had been carefully calculated out.
Okay, your time starts now. The judgment will begin in 10 minutes. You
can discuss, threaten, persuade, or beg however you like until then. Then
again, the optimum solution has already been suggested
Having said that, the bunny girls voice disappeared completely.
The optimum solution.
All black.
It was simple enough to say. Anyone would choose it as a theoretical
answer. But lives were on the line here. Their own lives were on the line.
The problem was that choosing red would certainly save an individual.
Blackis best, right? If we all choose black!! said Kozue to brush
aside her unease.
Kazakami once again gave the rebuttal.
Like I said, red is a sure thing.
But if were going to be saved by red, someone has to sacrifice
themselves!! said Harumi.
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Im not saying we should all choose red to save ourselves! Red is a sure
thing, but if all ten of us choose it, were all dead. If we say were going
for all black, the group that chooses red at the last second will definitely be
saved!!
We wouldnt do that!!
What proof of that do we have!? Winning with red is easier than winning
with black. As long as one sacrifice is tricked into choosing black, the rest
of you get to survive!!
The rest of you.
Higashikawa had no idea what basis Kazakami was using to divide them
up.
But he felt Kazakamis fears were hitting at the true meaning of this
attraction.
Suggesting they all choose black and agreeing on it in a strategy meeting
were easy enough to do. It was based in the fundamental goodness of
humanity, so it felt good to agree to it.
But once the lid was opened, was it possible no goodness would be found?
Was it possible Higashikawa alone would choose black and the rest would
choose red?
They did not know each other well enough to feel united.
And that was not just due to the division between Player 1 and Player 2.

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Even within Player 1, the bonds between Higashikawa, Kazakami,

Matsumi, Hiyama, and Rachel were not strong enough to know anything
for sure.
And
Even as he considered the complicated rules, Higashikawa also thought of
what would happen after the fact.
It was near impossible for them all to choose black.
So if someone chose red and survived, what happened then?
What if it was not an extreme situation of 9 and 1? What if it was 5 and 5?
What if half were killed and half survived?
Would there be any trust left between the survivors?
They had been unable to handle that bunny girl with all ten of them united,
so what could the survivors do with their trust destroyed?
That was the point of this attraction.
Player 1 and Player 2 had been set up to kill each other, but they had met
and united instead. This was the first step toward destroying that union so
that they would fight amongst each other once more.
In all likelihood, the bunny girl and the other organizers did not expect
them to all choose red and die.
Nor did the bunny girl and the other organizers expect them to all choose
black and survive.
They expected something in between.
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It could be 7 and 3, 6 and 4, or 5 and 5.

Instead of all red or all black, only the sly would survive. The single group
would be destroyed and broken into multiple individuals.
Ah.
After thinking over the jumble of thoughts in his head, Higashikawa
Mamoru realized a fundamental fact.
Ahhhh.
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
Higashikawa suddenly held his head in his hands and shouted out. The
other nine jumped in shock.
Wh-what is it? cautiously asked Anzai, but Higashikawa gave no reply.
He had realized something.
He had become aware of something.
He knew the true purpose of this balancing act of an attraction using red
and black cards. He knew who the true target was.
Before coming here, Higashikawa had purposefully pretended to betray
Player 1 and join Player 2 so that he could avoid a conflict between the two
groups. He had destroyed the power balance to prevent a 50/50 fight, but
that had proven something to the others.
It had proven Higashikawa Mamoru was willing to betray his group.

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He had resolved the situation back then. He had managed to keep it at a

level where the others knew he reluctantly did it to ensure they all survived.
However
What if Higashikawa chose red and survived in this attraction?
His justification disappeared.
He had said he did it for the sake of all 10 of them before, but this would
show he would not hesitate to betray others for his own sake.
Even if multiple people survived by choosing red, Higashikawa Mamoru
could not join them.
He would be the only one to have betrayed his group more than once.
And what would happen to him once he was driven out of the group?
He would be isolated.
And it would not end there.
The others would not want the traitor causing any more problems. They
would want stability. They would want to come up with a definite plan to
eliminate the uncertain element.
And if that happened
The other attraction participants would be as much his enemy as the bunny
girl and the other organizers. If he was isolated as the attractions continued,
he would have every disadvantage forced onto him. It was even possible he
would be beaten to death before the next attraction even began.
Higashikawa Mamoru could not win by choosing red.
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The only way he could win was with black.

(But)
A cold sweat poured from his face and he gritted his teeth.
(But!!)
If he told them all to choose black, who would go along with it?
Even if some did, it did not matter unless every single one of them did.
If even a single person chose red, it was all over.
And that was exactly the point at which the strategy meeting was stuck.
It was impossible for them to all survive by choosing black.
In that case
In that case, what could Higashikawa do?
Even if he won with red, he would have no hope afterwards.
Even if he tried to win with black, someone would choose red and he
would die.
Ultimately, that was what the bunny girl was after.
When Player 1 and Player 2 had been about to clash, Higashikawa Mamoru
had used the traitor card to avoid the conflict. There had been a chance that
would isolate him sooner or later.
That was why the organizers had lost interest.

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They had no interest in watching when they knew how it would turn out.
And so they had prepared an attraction where Higashikawa Mamoru would
be destroyed no matter what he chose.
And
That meant
(Theres no hope for me? Every single one of my options is nothing but
choosing between different cruel deaths?)

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Higashikawa Mamoru felt some sort of intense emotion swirling in his gut.
It was not simply anger.
It was not simply fear.
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In fact, it was something that made him feel like he would burst out
laughing if he let his guard down. He felt like his stomach was filled with
boiling water, but he also felt a mysterious pleasure and ecstasy.
Higashikawa himself did not know how to classify the feeling.
However
He felt the rails of his thoughts switching over. The usual thoughts of
trying to avoid death were swapped out for something completely different.
He could not be saved.
He could not be saved.
He could not be saved.
In that case, what should he hope for in this final attraction?
A high score.
With that goal set, his thoughts moved at tremendous speed. His instincts
and bodily limiters may have been out of order because his vision grew
oddly bright and wide. The great torrent of tension and emotion may have
been affecting the dilation of his eyes, but that did not matter.
He would give that bunny girl a shock.
He set his top priority according to this feeling that was neither hatred nor
joy. With that priority, what was the best way to use his red or black card?
He found his answer almost immediately. It was quite simple.
As long as he ignored his own survival, that is.
Listen.
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The other nine seemed to be observing Higashikawas odd state from a

distance.
Isolating himself from the group should have been what he avoided at all
costs.
However
When he knew he could not survive, this way was more convenient.
Higashikawa Mamoru took a single breath and then spoke a decisive
statement.
I will choose black.
Have you even been listening? asked Kazakami in irritation. He was
frustrated at having to argue the same thing again and again. Even if you
say that, you have no proof every single other person will choose black
too!!
I know that, cut in Higashikawa. And he added one more decisive
statement. The rest of you should choose red. That will minimize the
sacrifices!!
He heard someone gasp.
He had no way of knowing if it was simply out of shock or if it was also
out of relief over a surefire method of saving oneself.
He did not care either way.
You dont have to think about choosing black. You just have to assume
choosing red will save you! If we all choose red, its all over. But if I
choose black, you dont have to worry about that possibility!!
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Why? said Hotaru while looking at Higashikawa as if she could not

believe what she was seeing.
That was the obvious reaction.
With this plan, there was zero chance of Higashikawa surviving.
Kazakami had been left dumbfounded, but he now clenched his teeth and
shouted, I dont believe you. If you choose black alone, youll die!! At the
last second, youll-!!
What good would playing red at the last second do me? That would just
mean we all die. Whether I choose red or black, I will die. What do I gain
by betraying you in that situation!?
May I ask why you are doing this? asked Hiyama, but Higashikawa
gave no answer.
Instead he said, Whatever any of you say, I am playing black. Ive already
made up my mind. Listen, if you all choose red, you will all survive. Or
will you all gamble on black? I promise you that everyone who chooses
black will die along with me. If you want a sure thing and if you truly want
to survive, then do not hesitate to choose red. Understand?
He would not be saved.
He could not be saved.
As that truth permeated his chest, he began to see an odd new objective. He
did not want to die for no reason. He wanted the odd sense of
accomplishment of someone who tore of his own flesh to feed a starving
child.
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It was nothing more than an illusion.

It was nothing more than an escape.
But giving up on this attraction had given him an option he could not have
seen otherwise. Even as an unpleasant sweat poured from his entire body,
Higashikawa clung to that objective.
It was as if he was doing his best to avert his gaze from his approaching
death.
Listen! All of you choose red! That will definitely save you!! Im not
telling you to trust me. But anyone who chooses black will look like an
idiot! Dont forget that!!
And the nine-against-one structure Higashikawas death would create
would not be the structure of betrayal and suspicion that the bunny girl
wanted.
After all, Higashikawa was no longer part of Player 1 or Player 2.
This was 5 and 4 and 1. After using betrayal to avoid the conflict between
the two groups, he had been left hanging in between.
What would happen if he was sacrificed here?
The group would not split. They would either have eliminated the traitor or
they would feel a mutual guilt over sacrificing a single person to save
themselves. Player 1 and Player 2 would truly unite.
He was guiding the attractions result away from what the bunny girl and
the other organizers wanted.
(This is the only way for me to win.)
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He could not avoid being taken out of the running.

He would die no matter what he chose.
He had accepted that. He had no choice but to accept it. And after
accepting it, this was the only place he could put up his final fight. This
was all he had left.
(I wont let that horrible bunny girl have her way!! Ill guide this away
from the path she is imagining! As long as I can do that!!)
Hey!!
With sweat pouring from his face and bloodshot eyes, Higashikawa looked
over at Anzai.
And he shouted.
This is the end for me. But promise me one thing. Promise me there will
be no more Player 1 and Player 2! From here on, youre the
protagonist! Escape here not just with your friends, but with everyone else
too!! Do everything you can to achieve that! Make sure you do that!!
Your time is up, said the bunny girl after her long silence.
She did not sound worried.
Her top priority was the elimination of Higashikawa Mamoru who the
organizers had grown tired of. That would still happen, so those
monitoring them had no reason to be worried.
Or so they thought.
Higashikawa felt they were nave.
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Even if it was decided he would die, he could still choose how he died. At
the very end, Higashikawa had realized that.
And so he would not lose.
Even if he died, he would not lose.
Have you made up your minds? Have you put together your strategy? Do
you think you can win? Do you think things will go as you hope? Well,
whatever your answer, the time has come. Get your cards ready, everyone.
Think of it like the referee displaying a card in soccer. No saying you
meant to display the other side after the fact. Anyone who refuses to
display their card will be killed. If you understand, then grab your cards.
There were ten of them.
All of their lives held equal value and they each had a single card to entrust
their fate to.
Higashikawa Mamoru.
Hiyama Tomoko.
Kazakami Shinzou.
Matsumi Shirauo.
Rachel Skydance.
Anzai Kyousuke.
Harumi Quartervalley.
Hasegawa Hotaru.
Kusaka Kozue.
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Yakushiji Aisu.
Ready, set
The bunny girls cheerful voice sounded horribly out of place.
And it was their final signal.
Go!!
With a stiff smile, Higashikawa Mamoru displayed the black side of his
card forward.
And the other nine chose

Part 3
A few seconds passed.
Silence filled the area.
Higashikawas erratic breathing and pounding heart sounded unusually
loud to him. He had chosen his own death. Instead of avoiding it, he had
chosen it himself. His mind was horribly clear. All worldly thoughts had
disappeared from it and no hint of human feelings remained.
This may have been the mental state of someone who jumped from a tall
building or subway platform.
(Its over.)
He muttered those words in his heart as well as under his breath.
It was over.

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When would his fear return? As Higashikawa wondered that, he realized

the fear did not seem to be returning at all. He only felt an odd heat
swirling in his head. Some important part of the nerves in his brain may
have already been fried and he would never regain the ability to think
normally.
When the actual task of killing him began and he felt unimaginable pain,
the fear might return.
Or he may have been broken beyond the point of feeling pain.

His breaths were sometimes shallow and sometimes deep.

Finally, the other bags hanging down entered into Higashikawas vision.
They looked just like the bags used to hold goldfish.
The thick, transparent plastic and the thick wire made for an extremely
unreliable gondola.
Higashikawa looked over to view the resultand then he froze.
Hiyama was contained in the neighboring bag.
He had seen the color of her card.
It was black.
For an instant
For just an instant
The unpleasant heat in Higashikawas head disappeared. He could not
process what he was seeing.
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And after a few seconds, it finally hit him.

He realized what it meant.
You-!!
His strategy had failed. Not all of the other nine had chosen red. This was a
pointless death. He had no idea why she had done it, but Hiyama would
simply be killed along with him.
But
His expectations were overturned even further.
When he looked again, Hiyama was not the only one to choose black.
Anzai, Matsumi, and Rachel had too.
More needless deaths.
Once half of them died, the survivors would be suspicious of each other.
This would kill all of them, just more slowly.
But he was wrong again.
There were even more.
Eh?
He looked around.
He looked around again.
He finally realized that every single card was the same color. It was not
just that a few had chosen black. All 10 participants had chosen black.
Every card was black as if it had been arranged ahead of time.
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(Why?)
That simple question filled Higashikawas mind.
This was the best result, but he had seen no way for it to happen.
We had no choice, spat out Kazakami. You were going on about
choosing black on your own, so there was no other way to save us.
You could say we woke up, continued Hotaru. That bunny girl set up
all sorts of rules, but there was never more than one option.
Your conviction to choose black no matter what gave us the push we
needed, said Harumi.
Matsumi then said, To be honest, I was hesitant to not choose red. But
then I wondered what I would do in the future attractions if I survived
alone. I need to use anyone that might be useful.
From our position running the attractions, we saw you working together
to complete them, added Aisu.
Kozue said, If you had not stepped in when the Player 1 and Player 2
structure collapsed, I would have died. It felt wrong to not repay that debt.
We may have argued about a lot in the attraction. Anzai let out a slow
sigh after he was sure everyone had chosen black. But those conflicts
were necessary for us to all survive. Once someone decided to choose
black, it was obvious what we had to do.

It was simple.
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It was a simple truth.

Higashikawa Mamoru had put together his strategy on the assumption that
he would not survive. With that assumption, the high score was the
survival of the other nine and the elimination of any source of conflict.
But
They had thought about it differently.
It had not been about whether they would survive themselves.
It was about whether everyone would survive or not.
While Higashikawa had quickly given up, the others had continued to
struggle for total survival.
That was why they had come to an impasse and why they had argued.
Seeing the all black result finally woke Higashikawa up. The selfsacrificial thought processes he had built up to escape the fear of death
came crumbling down.
He was not strong or clever.
He had simply looked away.
The ones who deserved that award were the other nine who had continued
arguing while never giving up on their ultimate objective.
You may have been imagining this as 9 against 1 or 5 against 4 against 1,
said Hiyama as she held her injury. But we are simply 10. And it is all
thanks to you betraying us all to protect us all.
Higashikawa could find no words to speak.
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As he sat there in a daze, he heard the bunny girls voice.

Ooookay Kind of unexpected, but Ill announce the attractions result
anyway.
She was disappointed.
Dejection filled her voice.
And then the true cruelty of the attraction showed itself.
Hiyama Tomoko-san, Kazakami Shinzou-san, Matsumi Shirauo-san,
Rachel Skydance-san, Anzai Kyousuke-san, Harumi Quartervalley-san,
Hasegawa Hotaru-san, Kusaka Kozue-san, and Yakushiji Aisusan. According to the rules of the attraction, the above nine people will be
killed.

Ah?
This was more than a splash of cold water to the face.
Every thought in his mind was cut off.
A noise escaped his mouth, but it held no meaning.
This truly unreasonable and unexpected turn of events sealed off even a
shout.
Why? muttered Higashikawa finally.

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He could feel his entire body trembling. The unpleasant heat swirling in his
head before was completely gone. Now he felt like the core of his body
was filled with icy water.
Like hell thats the result!! We all chose black!! Every single one of us!!
Why does that mean the other nine have to be killed!?
Oh? said the bunny girl in obvious mockery. Hers was the voice of
someone who had not been damaged in the slightest. The rules said the
following: If you do not all choose the same color, only those who chose
black will be killed.
And!?
And, repeated the bunny girl. Higashikawa-san, your card is a very dark
brown.
He felt like his entire personality had been wiped clean.
The ridiculous situation caused his tear glands to writhe oddly. His
expression crumbled under an odd torrent that could not be classified under
any of the standard emotions.
The card.
The card itself had been sabotaged.
He forced his trembling body to move and looked down. He looked at his
own card. He observed it in the dimness.
It looked black.
It could be nothing other than black.
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But
Even so
Well, I dont blame you for not noticing with normal eyesight. Under the
CMYK values, the magenta has been increased two or threefold. But that is
still technically classified as a very dark brown. It isnt black. When the
brown pigment melanin is concentrated enough, we call it black hair, but
technicallytechnically, it is still classified as brown!!
D-don-Dont mock us!!!!
And so you unfortunately failed to all choose black! You failed!!
He should have thought of the possibility.
He should have been on the lookout for a trap when those cruel organizers
prepared an option that would allow them all to survive.
But even if he had
Even if he had
You were trying to corner me, right!? You knew I would be isolated
sooner or later, so you lost interest in watching me! If you kill them, you
wont be able to continue these attractions that toy with our group
psychology!! Are you really fine with that!?
Oh, come on.
The bunny girl seemed to be enjoying herself.
She sounded like someone who had stuck an insect in a maze and was
watching it as it struggled to find its way.
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You think this attraction was just for you? Just to eliminate you? Why
would we go to all this trouble just for you? Arent you thinking a little too
highly of yourself?
!!
Also, our objective is not to continue these attractions forever. In fact, this
sudden end, this unexpected conclusion, and this unreasonable turnaround
is much more important.
Whatare you saying?
After all, thats the nature of the absurd.
She truly, truly seemed to be enjoying herself.
The bunny girls voice sounded enchanted.
This was different from the mocking voice from before.
Seeing an obvious story structure would hardly be absurd, now would it?
When the cute heroine does not die and is always assumed safe, that is not
absurd. If the protagonist of a two hour drama survives the entire two hours,
that is not absurd. We seek the absurd. And that is why we must destroy
all of those standard assumptions.
The absurd? muttered Anzai in shock. Did you just say the absurd!?
Ha hah ha! It is sometimes referred to by the name Objective Alice.
Securing that White Girl who is associated with the Banshee and
Prometheus is no easy task. After all, this is a difficult existence to deal
with. Her only rule is that no rules can govern her. Even after running an
emulation experiment, our odds of success are completely unknown. But
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not being able to read anything about the situation may be proof that we
are approaching Alice who stands in the center of the absurd.
But Higashikawa could not guess the true meaning of those words. He did
not have the mental leeway left.
He had misread the enemys objective.
The bunny girl had not set up the attraction using red and black cards in
order to eliminate Higashikawa.
That was why he had failed.
That was why he had failedor was it?
Now then, now then! I am sure you have all vaguely realized it by now,
but you are going to die!! This is quite an absurd turn of events, dont you
think!?
Higashikawas footing shook.
After that vibration of another arm latching on, the wire began to be reeled
in.
He was being taken up.
He alone was being taken away from death. He alone was being lifted up to
safety.
Wait
Higashikawa had tried to save the other nine by choosing black and having
them choose red.

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The other nine had all chosen black despite the danger so they could save
him.
The killing was beginning.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttt
ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!
Shouting out was meaningless.
Higashikawa was dragged up to the bar alone and the pitfall closed beneath
him.
That single panel divided this safe area and the abyss.
And in the darkness below, nine lives were lost.

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What Each Person Held

What Each Person Held

Hiyama Tomoko had worked toward taking revenge against the theory of a
certain respected scholar in a distant country by approaching that scholar as
the perfect beauty. The scholars theory said that criminals were raised by
their environment, so one needed to be wary of people with similar life
courses to historical criminals. She had wanted to give off intentionally
sensational but incorrect hints to strike down that scholar from the
scientific community. However, that was not a logical reason to come to a
world-famous amusement park. Hiyama looked down on that scholar she
hated so much, but it seemed her personality was not mechanical enough
for that to be the whole of her life.

Kazakami Shinzou had lived without the help of a home or owning any
land. While working for Direct Transportation, he had found himself
shipping a suspicious package that stank of blood. He had begun
investigating it and had ended up at this amusement park. He had been
unable to hide his irritation at not finding any answers or possibly having
fallen for a trap. He had grown violent, but the organizers had simply used
that for their own ends. That had frustrated him all the more.

Matsuo Shirauo had come here to discover who she was. She had not
expected it to be anything so dangerous, but she had also been relieved that
the organizers had not excluded her from the danger. Even if she was
considered disposable by them, she at least knew she was not one of them
and anything was better than being one of them.
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What Each Person Held

Rachel Skydance had found it hard to adapt to life in Japan and had hoped
working at a world-famous amusement park would give her some hint of
her home country. When it had turned out she had been deceived and she
learned what sort of predicament she was in, she had seriously considered
giving up on life. And she might have done so had she not heard that voice
call out to her through the steel door while she was locked in that room
with a corpse.

Anzai Kyousuke had once more been used by that group of four college
girls. However, he had begun to realize that he enjoyed being used by them
in that way. His feelings regarding Player 1 that he had met today were
complicated, but he doubted the violence would have stopped at that level
had the situations been reversed.

Harumi Quartervalley had not given it much thought. She had been the one
to find the wanted poster, but she had not been in need of money. She had
thought an amusement park sounded a bit childish, but she had decided it
might feel more fresh and make for some fun memories if they went there
as workers rather than guests.

Hasegawa Hotaru had heard some shady rumors about Attraction Land, but
she had kept quiet because it sounded like fun. She had been surprised
when her position switched from observer to participant, but that had
simply meant she needed to switch her thinking over to achieving the
happy ending that the organizers would least want.
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Kusaka Kozue had been afraid to be left out. She felt safest with the
structure of the four girls (+ one boy), so she had done her best to defend
that structure. But she had been saved by some strange guy and the five
had suddenly grown to ten. She had been confused at first, but she soon
found it was not a bad change.

Yakushiji Aisu had wanted to save up money so she could visit Guam
during winter break. She was what was known as a genius, so she was
quite skilled. However, her abilities only ever showed themselves in the
things she had a strong interest in. She periodically needed some new
stimuli. That had been the reason for the winter trip to Guam and in a way
it had been the reason for the part-time job as well.

Those nine were no more.

They had all died.
This was not just the elimination of nine names or symbols. These were
flesh-and-blood humans who had lived up to this point holding onto their
own reasons and circumstances.
They had made a single choice to protect Higashikawa.
And their decisions had been completely overturned by the worst possible
trap.

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Reaper Game 05: Conclusion

Part 1
He swung his arms around as hard as he could.
He ripped apart the thick plastic material with his hands and ran out of the
bag and into the bar.
The bunny girl was sitting on a random table.
Her legs were crossed and she was grinning as she looked down on
Higashikawa who was breathing erratically on the floor.
It was probably too dark to see, but there was a pool of powerful acid
below. Once the wire was released and they fell in, there was no way to
save them.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
He tried to curse at her, but he could not even form such simple words.
He ignored his trembling tongue and lips, and instead simply shouted out.
As the cries of beasts contained certain signals, Higashikawas showed less
intelligence than a wild beast.
He stretched out his arms in hopes of dragging the bunny girl down from
the round table and climbing on top of her.
But then something happened.
The bunny girl did not actually do anything.
!?
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As soon as Higashikawa gathered strength in his legs to leap at her, his

feet unnaturally slipped. He collapsed clumsily and face-first to the floor
as the bunny girl grinned.
Its no use. That attraction was quite absurd. As soon as it ended, the
preparations were complete.
Shut up!!!!! He finally managed to form proper words. Higashikawa
followed his emotions and spat out those words from the floor. Ill save
them Ill save those nine no matter what!! They took the risk of
choosing black to save me after I gave up on my life! All of them did!!
Every single one!! It is definitely wrong for them to be used and then killed.
Why did they have to die while I survived!? Thats why-!!
But what are you even going to do? The stoppers for the wires were
already released. They should all be dissolved down to the bone in that
pool of acid. And the bones will melt away before too long.
!!!!!!
Higashikawa bit his lip and the flavor of iron oozed out.
The hope inside him was no more than refusing to imagine what he had not
directly seen. It was the same as closing a cat in a metal canister and
thoroughly beating the canister from outside. Saying the cat might still be
alive because you had not looked inside was much too evil to be called
wishful thinking.
He knew that.
He knew the truth.
Yet Higashikawa Mamoru would not give up on those nine.
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He refused to give up on them!

Higashikawas thoughts circled around and around and around and around
in his head like they had been tossed into a maze with no exit. Sweat
poured from his body. He rolled clumsily across the floor, balled up in the
fetal position, and could not move a single finger.
He was distancing his mind from any information from the outside world.
Was he focusing his thoughts or was it simply escapism?
Meanwhile, the bunny girls expression was that of someone cleaning up
the trash after having fun with some noisy fireworks.
Hm, hm. So this is what resided within me. Well, it makes sense given the
format. This is the sort of story that would lead to this absurdity being
overwritten onto me.
She was saying something.
But it did not matter.
While looking down on Higashikawa who was still breathing erratically on
the floor, the bunny girl broke apart one of the laptops sitting on the same
round table as her. She pulled an industrial product made of colorful cords
out from within.
It used a thin panel instead of a cylinder, but it resembled the time bomb
used in Higashikawas first attraction.
This was prepared as a penalty in case you tried to access anything we
didnt want. But the detailed design was outsourced, so I dont really know
how it works.
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Even as she said that, the bunny girls slender fingers ripped out the
colorful cords one by one.
Over half of the 20 or more cords were likely traps.
If she carelessly severed one of them, it would explode.
And yet
When it isnt supposed to explode, nothing can make it explode. This is
not just a dud or a malfunction. When I am not supposed to lose, I cannot
lose. Those are the rules that surround me right now.

She was annoying.

She was a bother.
What did it matter? What did that bomb with its cords ripped out matter?
You can think this is some kind of trick if you like. But an answer like
that is not going to be enough to defeat me, said the bunny girl
offhandedly.
She then tossed the silent bomb out the bar door with the carefreeness of
someone tossing a magazine into the trash after reading through it.
A great roar and vibration came from the shopping mall, but Higashikawa
still did not care.
What did it matter?
Would that help him save those nine?
If not, he just needed to remain silent.
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Higashikawa Mamoru could not think about anything else. He could no

longer think at all.
This may be thanks to roleplaying using the storyline of gambles that toy
with human lives. This goes well beyond luck or fortune. Just by standing
here, I can call in an infinite supply of success.Perhaps this is something
like being Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology. Anyway, I
played the dealer, so my version is for the part of the ruler. I have acquired
the character of the Unbeatable Emperor from gambling stories. This is a
good start, and it shows our project is progressing smoothly.
She was no longer expecting any reply from Higashikawa. She seemed to
be satisfied as long as someone was there to hear her speak.
There was no reason for it. This explanation and conversation held no
meaning. The bunny girl was simply doing it on a whim for selfsatisfaction.
Or
Perhaps that irresponsibility was linked to the mysterious concept of the
absurd she had mentioned.
Killing those nine has created a great current. Now we on the organizer
side just have to wait for our objective to complete itself. Do you know
what is important here, Higashikawa-san?
While still lying on the ground, Higashikawa finally moved just his eyes in
response to his name.
Thats right: how to deal with you.
The bunny girls smile deepened.
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It spread unnaturally far like butter melting in a frying pan.

Now that those nine deaths have met the absurdity requirements, we have
no logical reason to care about you any longer. Do you know what that
means? What do you think is about to happen to you?
Would he be saved?
Was she saying he would be let go?
After everything they did, would they not fight him or even give him any
more challenges!?
Thats right.
The bunny girl smiled.
She smiled and smiled and smiled.
She pulled a knife from her cleavage and spun it around in her hand.
If we used logic to decide what to do, the absurdity we went to such
lengths to bring here might disperse.
She would kill him because they had no reason to kill him.
Things were going well, so she would destroy everything.
If any logic remained, she would overturn it.
It was as if the world had been filled with a rule that made everything the
opposite of what it was supposed to be.
She will be here soon.
The bunny girl stood up from the round table.
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She approached with a smile and a glittering blade.

She is an aggregation of the absurd that has taken the form of a pure white
girl. That absurd existence is on a completely different dimension from me.
Higashikawa-san? The situation you have fallen into is most definitely
absurd. If the girl and the absurd can each affect each other, then that girl
can be made to appear by preparing the absurd. Makes sense, doesnt it?
At this stage, Higashikawa was still lying unmoving on the floor.
It was not that he did not know what was about to happen to him.
He did not think he could avoid the blade with miraculous physical ability.
Nor did he think the bunny girl was so unskilled that she could not
successfully stab him.
He remained silent.
Even his breathing stopped.
He truly did not make a single noise.
Now, Higashikawa-san. I do not know if you are simply not listening or if
you have lost the ability to understand what you are hearing as words,
butthis is checkmate. Farewell.
She did not hesitate.
No convenient hero rushed out to save him and no hidden ability exploded
out of him at the last second.
The bunny girls right arm swung down and brought the knife with it.

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Part 2
The result was simple.
Despite having his life placed on the line, Higashikawa was not interested
in what happened.
As he lay on the floor, his lips moved ever so slightly.
Huh? said the bunny girl. Higashikawa did not bother looking up.
The blade fell out of the handle? No, wait, wait, wait. I already proved I
have the power to never lose when I am not supposed to lose. So
howhow did you call in success here?
What was she saying?
Why was she still talking about that?
Higashikawa could not understand it. And that was why he muttered
something while lying with his right ear pressed against the floor.
He spoke about what truly mattered.
I can hear it.
What?
I can hear a creaking noise from below the floor. Isnt that the sound of
those bags hanging from the wires!?
At the same moment, the laptops placed along the bars tables all grew red.
Warning messages displaying errors appeared on all of them. From the
diagram displayed along with the errors, this seemed to be related to the
bags and the pulleys and gears that controlled them.
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Due to a malfunction in the attractions devices, theyre still hanging

there? And this isnt just one or two malfunctions All nine of them
malfunctioned!?
The bunny girl snapped her fingers and all of the error messages
disappeared. In their place, profiles for Higashikawa and the others
appeared. The profiles included brief overviews of their qualifications and
academic histories as well as records of their actions in the attractions.
It included a section titled Progress Report #201.
The material added under Initial Setup said the following:

Higashikawa Mamoru.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse and instigating the same.

Hiyama Tomoko.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

Kazakami Shinzou.
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

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Matsumi Shirauo
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse.

Rachel Skydance
Viewing of and assisting in the production of snuff films.
Mutilating a corpse. (Unclear if she would have done so on her own.)
I see. When we had Player 1 mutilate that corpse in the first attraction,
you took that irregular action. You convinced Rachel Skydance to mutilate
her corpse in order to save her. And that created an imbalance in the
criminal charges!! Thats why!!

The technical details did not matter.

The nine of them were still alive even if just barely.
In that case, this was no time to be lying on the ground trying to escape
reality.
Higashikawa Mamoru slammed his fist down on a nearby laptop and
grabbed a sharp fragment of the broken screen.
At the same time, the bunny girl pulled out a new knife and rushed at
Higashikawa.
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They both took action.

Higashikawa shot to his feet and thrust the sharp fragment directly at the
center of the bunny girls chest. The bunny girl swung her knife
horizontally to slice through Higashikawas throat.
However
!?
!!
Both attacks failed.
Cracks ran through Higashikawas shard and it shattered before reaching
the bunny girls chest. Meanwhile, the blade of the bunny girls knife once
more slipped from the handle and stabbed into the wall to the side.
The two glared at each other from close enough to grab at each other.
As the bunny girl tossed aside the knife handle, the confidence from before
had vanished.
It looks like this just isnt going to work. At this distance, it is infinite.
Even if we brought in a Gatling gun or a shoulder-fired missile, we cannot
kill each other. That is simply the type of character we have been
constructed as.

All ten of you in Player 1 and Player 2 were supposed to end this as equal
characters that were nothing more than gamble participants. You would
never have been able to defeat the Unbeatable Emperor who was your
dealer. But your irregular actions caused an imbalance in the criminal
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charges meant to guide in the absurd. You could say you obtained the
position of a character with the opportunity to play a special role among
the participants. You could call that character the Ever-Victorious
Challenger.
And what does that mean?
I like that look in your eyes. Youve finally worked up the will to kill me.
But its no use. The situation can never change as it is. We each have a
great power that calls in success, so we will always automatically avoid
death no matter how hard we try. This is a world where we could fight for
100 years and never reach a conclusion. There is still much to research
about the absurd. After all, this has even twisted time and continuity.
?
You still dont get it? The mechanical malfunctions that saved those nine
from death were most likely brought on by the character you have been
given. However, when did you acquire that character? As the dealer, I
gained the Unbeatable Emperor only after sacrificing those nine to guide in
the absurd. Your Ever-Victorious Challenger must be the same. And yet
your power saved those nine. You saved them using the character you
obtained from their deaths. What can you call that if not a contradiction?
This is a power that can ignore time and continuity, so how are normal
weapons like knives and bombs supposed to decide our victory?
Higashikawa did not understand what was happening, but he began to
wonder if the bunny girl did not have control of the situation.
The cat had been removed from the box and its state could not be
explained.
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It was truly absurd.

Then what are we supposed to do?
This.
The bunny girl snapped her fingers.
Immediately afterwards, a change came over all of the laptops in the bar.
White letters of the alphabet scrolled across the black screens at high speed.
This was not simple English, so Higashikawa could not understand it.
What are you doing?
Changing the settings of the facilitys master key, said the bunny girl
offhandedly with a single card in one hand. But what she said was very
important. This single card lets you unlock all the doors, view any files,
switch on and off the traps, and control any device. It can drag those nine
up with the spare machines or it can drop them into the acid.
The master key.
That would be the best item for rescuing the other nine and for escaping
the facility.
Why are you letting me see that?
Because it is necessary, readily replied the bunny girl. She moved in
close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. In the end, we are
both supported by the gambling absurdities that control this field. Knives
and guns have no meaning anymore. Those reasonable responses would be
exterminated by the absurd. And thus we must compete according to the
rules of the absurd. We must disturb these powers that call in success like
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the goddess of victory. That is the only way to rob the other of their power.
Only once we do that can we kill each other.
So are you suggesting betting that master key on an attraction?
More or less. If you win, only your red and black card will function as the
master. If I have the master key, the nine of them will die. If you have the
master key, I will lose my life and the organizers project will be destroyed.
It is only once we both put everything on the line that this attraction can
overturn the absurd. This level of gamble is needed.
What exactly is the attraction? Guessing the password?
That would be meaningless. You have obtained the Ever-Victorious
Challenger, so you would probably get it right just by randomly hitting the
keys. And so I have put together some more interesting questions.

It was undoubtedly going to be something horrible.

Higashikawa had learned all too well how cruel the bunny girl was during
that attraction with the red and black cards.
It would be something far, far above the upper limit of his imagination.
Finally, the letters stopped scrolling across the many screens.
Instead of some strange program code, it now displayed proper Japanese
text.
Higashikawa focused all of his attention on grasping what it said.
And
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Eh?
As soon as he understood what it was he saw there, Higashikawa
Mamorus thoughts stopped completely.

Part 3
As Higashikawa stood motionlessly, he heard the bunny girl whispering in
his ear.
She was so close he could smell the sweetness of her breath.
This was originally set up on the facilitys exit as the final challenge we
could watch you suffer through.
The final challenge.
It was not proving some difficult problem that troubled mathematicians the
world over and it was not an ancient piece of text that no linguist had been
able to translate.
However
In a way, this was a much more dreadful challenge for Higashikawa than
some obviously difficult problem. It was a cliff. It was a precipice.
Higashikawa spoke aloud its name.
The attraction monitoring we took part in?
Attraction 01: Deadly Bullet Game, Attraction 02: Hide-and-Seek
Gamble, Attraction 03: Bang, Bang, Bang!!, Attraction 04: Sudden
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Death Old Maid, Attraction 05: Loser Resurrection Game, Attraction

06: Grand Slam Homer, Attraction 07: Memory Game, Attraction 08:
Washing Away Blood with Blood, Attraction 09: Killing Someone by
Solving a Mystery Not Involving a Murder, and Attraction 10: Earn
200,000 Yen with 1 Millimeter. Well, Im sure you recognize all the
names. However
The bunny girl smiled.
She smiled cruelly.
Her smile did not seem to simply contain evil; it seemed to symbolize evil
itself.
This time, the rules in our archives have been updated. The deficiencies in
the rules have been compensated for thanks to the monitor form you filled
out.
It was budding.
Something pitch black and filled with cruelty was blooming.
On a personal level, this was the most difficult problem in the world.
You must now give a strategy for the attractions you have completed
yourself!! If you can get through all 10 attractions, you win. If you cannot
come up with anything for even one, you lose. See? Its just a simple
monitoring, right!?
They might have answers.
There might be holes remaining.

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But he had been the ones to close up the holes. This attraction used the
answerers own thought processes to seal up the holes the answerer would
think up first.
Even if the questions could be answered easily with a third partys thought
processes, the answerer himself could not use those.
In other words
The answerer has prepared his own personal dead end! Even as his life is
on the line, he himself blocks his way as his most powerful enemy!! Really,
dont you think these are the perfect kind of absurd questions for the
situation!?
Bringing out these questions almost assured a checkmate on her part.
It was like heading back into a maze one had already sealed the exit of.
However
If I clear this, I get the master key?
What?
I dont know what all this Unbeatable Emperor and Ever-Victorious
Challenger nonsense is about, but those absurdities with embarrassing
names will disappear and Ill be able to punch you right in the face, right?
Wait, you actually intend to answer them? But this attraction was made so
your own thought patterns would lead you to surrender!

Instead of answering, Higashikawa Mamoru turned toward a nearby laptop.

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(You call this hard?)

He knew of a much, much harder problem. And he knew the people who
had solved it. He had seen the answers given by those nine who had risked
their lives to save his life in that attraction using red and black cards. They
had not simply trusted Higashikawa. The entire group of ten had trusted
the entire group of ten, and so they had played black so they could all
survive.
Compared to that choice
Compared to that answer
He was not about to let these pathetic lines of text frighten him!
This is the final challenge, decisively said Higashikawa Mamoru as he
faced the laptop. Prepare yourself. This will be the last attraction. I dont
give a shit about the Unbeatable Emperor or the Ever-Victorious
Challenger! I will destroy all of your plans here!!

The final challenge is about to begin. Please prepare paper, a pen, and the
answer sheet you made during the monitoring.

Final Challenge 01: Deadly Bullet Game

In this attraction, items with point values are used to defend against bullets
fired from head on. What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?

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Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:

(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 02: Hide-and-Seek Gamble

In this attraction, the participants are divided between hiders and seekers
and play hide-and-seek for a set time. If a hider is photographed by one of
the seekers digital cameras, he is considered caught. What is a surefire
method of clearing this attraction from the standpoint of a hider?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
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Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:

(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 03: Bang, Bang, Bang!!

In this attraction, five participants are handed five handguns. Each gun has
only one bullet. They fight to the death and the last survivor wins. What is
a surefire method of clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)
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Final Challenge 04: Sudden Death Old Maid

In this attraction, a shuffled deck of cards is divided between Competitor A
and Competitor B. Then they are each given 26 jokers. Competitors A and
B must hold out a pair of cards and play old maid with them. The
competitor with fewer jokers at the end wins. What is a surefire method of
clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 05: Loser Resurrection Game

In this attraction, pairs are created. To win, one member of the pair must
have their heart stopped and the other must breathe life back into them.
What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?
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Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:

(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 06: Grand Slam Homer

In this attraction, at least one home run must be hit from balls pitched by a
cutting edge pitching machine in a domed stadium. The batter has 10
chances. What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)

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Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:

(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 07: Memory Game

In this attraction, the participant is shown a video on a monitor, must
answer quiz questions to pass through bars blocking their path, and must
answer a memory-based question at the end. What is a surefire method of
clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)
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Final Challenge 08: Washing Away Blood with Blood

In this attraction, the participants kill each other using various weapons
drawn by lots. What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 09: Killing Someone by Solving a Mystery Not

Involving a Murder
In this attraction, the contestants must enter a 2 digit number and then use
various question cards to hide their own number and work out the others
number. What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?

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Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:

(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:
(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Final Challenge 10: Earn 200,000 Yen with 1 Millimeter

In this attraction, your own body is fixed into a guillotine. You must use
buttons that drop and stop the blade to stop the blade at the very last
second. What is a surefire method of clearing this attraction?
Point of Improvement 1 from Your Form:
(
)
Point of Improvement 2 from Your Form:
(
)

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Point of Improvement 3 from Your Form:

(
)
Your New Surefire Method:
(
)

Part 4

Youre kidding.
The bunny girl muttered those words in shock.
She showed a look of amazement that had not been seen on her face before.
Butyou shouldnt be able to solve those. You shouldnt be able to solve
them!! Those are the worst possible questions for the answerer because
they used the answerers own thought processes to seal up his personal
loopholes!!
The worst possible? Higashikawa Mamoru frowned doubtfully after he
finished typing. You think thats the worst possible? This was nothing
more than a simple monitoring.
Oh, I see. It was because they were absolutely impossible to answer.
Thats why! That has to be it!! That brought the absurd into play, didnt
it!? The power to make the impossible possible allowed you to answer
those unanswerable questions!!

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Higashikawa Mamoru slowly shook his head.

He did not need any strange powers to solve something of this level.
It was just a matter of preconceptions.
The fixed idea that he could never solve it would restrict his thoughts. By
resetting everything and rethinking from square one, he could find a way
through.
This was just a game of creating a question and solving it oneself.
It had nothing but himself in it.
But Higashikawa knew of something else.
He knew of his nine comrades who had taken on the burden of others lives
and futures and shown him the way to the best answer.
When he thought of them
When their lives hung in the balance
He could no longer think of this as his own choice. It exceeded the
boundaries of playing a game with himself and new pathways of thought
opened up.
When someone falls in love, gets married, has a child, or takes on
responsibility for anything important, their thought processes transform
into something new. This was the same as that.
I win.

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I win. It doesnt matter if you accept it or not. I won the final attraction.
The master key I need to rescue those nine is mine. And more importantly,
we no longer need to be bound by those ridiculous powers. Isnt that right?
Haha ha, laughed the bunny girl.
It was not that she had stopped thinking out of fear or that she was
laughing out of desperation.
Some decisive core remained. She had not broken yet.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!
What do you find so funny about this? Are you laughing at your own
fate?
I cant help but laugh. This is so absurd. This is truly absurd!! This is not
what we organizers had hoped for, but it is actually of even higher purity!
After that conclusion, there can be no doubting it. Objective Alice will be
led here!! Our great desire shall be fulfilled!!
The bunny girl snapped her fingers.
All of the laptops gave off a dazzling light. They were not simply
displaying something. The devices themselves had obviously exceeded
some sort of limit. The excessive amount of electricity caused them to give
off light on the level of a camera flash, but the great burden then caused the
laptops to burst to pieces and send sparks flying everywhere.
!?
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Higashikawa covered his face with his hands and the bunny girl was gone
by the time he could see again. One door to the bar was suspiciously sitting
open, but he did not know if she had actually escaped through it.
However, he held the key to the entire facility in his hand.
And he still had that unnatural power to call in success that apparently
came from the absurd. If what the bunny girl had said was accurate, this
power was on the level of the goddess of victory who caused conflicts
among the gods because simply having her on your side would give you
victory in a war.
If he tried to find her, he could find her right away.
If he tried to kill her, he could kill her right away.
But more importantly
The nine dangling in the great pit below the floor came first.
Higashikawa thought all of the laptops had been destroyed, but when he
looked around the area, he found one laptop that was conveniently
unscathed.
He did not know if it had simply survived or if his power had overturned
continuity once more.

Part 5
Higashikawa Mamoru was a complete amateur when it came to operating
such specialized devices, but all it took was randomly hitting a few keys to
safely draw up the bags the nine were trapped inside like a giant game of
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goldfish scooping. It all went unnaturally smoothly as if some invisible

force was controlling it all, but he did not care at the moment.
H-hey, whats going on!? Werent we going to be killed!? asked
Kazakami in disbelief even as he broke through the thick plastic and
crawled out.
It felt like the process suddenly stopped partway through.
Harumi and Rachel did not seem to understand what had happened either.
After helping Hiyama out of her thick plastic bag, the high school girl
named Matsumi asked, Wheres the bunny girl?
Higashikawa replied, Shes no longer a threat.
With that said, Higashikawa and the other nine left the bar. They were
supposedly in a vast sealed-off area prepared by the organizers with several
layers of locks keeping them in, but Higashikawa had the master key. All
the electronic locks were meaningless. He easily opened the hidden doors
that were practically part of the wall, the traps and sensors set in the
passageways were not active, and they made it to the exit with no trouble at
all.
It was a small back door made of aluminum or stainless steel.
Given everything that had happened, Anzai was cautious.
W-will it really be this easy?
After everything so far, I get the feeling they are having us let down our
guard before sending in something huge.

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Even Hotaru, who had given off a comparatively calm and collected
impression, was overcome by suspicion.
But Higashikawa felt they had no reason to worry.
The issue had already been settled at the level of those strange absurdities.
Higashikawa and the others were protected by rules of an insane world
where people could not hurt each other even with shards from broken
monitors, bombs, or knives. No matter what the bunny girl and the other
organizers were plotting, Higashikawa doubted it would go as they
expected.
And so
He did not hesitate to grab the doorknob and turn it.
The door opened wide.
The first thing he noticed was the wind.
It was nothing more than the air of a moderately cool night flowing in.
However, that wind tugged at all of their heartstrings. This was not the
stale air of that vast enclosed area. This was freely flowing wind. They
were overcome with emotion when struck by this completely normal
sensation.
It symbolized their freedom.
It proved they had escaped alive from those attractions.
O-oh.
Someone spoke.
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It may not have mattered who it was.

All of them then cried out.
Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
They cried out, shouted out, and then scrambled to be the first one out the
door. The door was small, so they were squeezing past each other to get
through. They lost their balance and fell to the ground.
They tasted dirt.
Dirt.
This was not a floor. It was a flavor that could only come from the earth.
As he reflected on that flavor, Higashikawas tear glands finally gave in.
Ha ha ha!! We won Dammit, we won!! Every single one of us escaped
those insane attractions
aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eee!!
He rolled onto his back and stared up at the starry sky. The wind had a
salty smell to it, so they may have been near the ocean or on an island. He
looked around while still on his back and spotted distant silhouettes of
what might have been a domed stadium and a crane from a harbor.
They may have been facilities related to the past attractions they had seen
in the monitor videos.
But it did not matter.
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They just needed to escape. That would mean they had defeated the
organizers.
The career woman named Hiyama stared down at Higashikawas face.
Excellent work.
We made it somehow. Almost everything was thought up at the last
second, though.
You could have abandoned us.
That wouldnt have been a victory. After everything we went through, we
had to win.
He grabbed her outstretched hand to stand up.
But then
?
When he placed his other hand against the ground to support himself, he
felt something oddly hard. It almost felt like metal. Higashikawa brushed
away the surface of the dirt and found something odd.
It was a handle.
He then uncovered a square frame two meters across.
What is this?
It might lead to a basement, whispered Hiyama.
Kazakami shook his head.

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Stop that. We got out. Thats all we need to do, right? If we leave and
head back home, we can survive. We dont need to head further in!!
But will the organizers really just let us leave? suggested Hotaru.
Aisu spoke up in agreement.
They have our personal information. They wont attack our homes later,
will they?

Rachel crouched down in fear.

Higashikawa honestly doubted the organizers could damage them now. He
did not understand any of this absurdity or Ever-Victorious Challenger
nonsense, but the power balance had already been made clear. Regardless
of Higashikawas own ability, the organizers would be automatically
eliminated due to the power to call in success.
But would that power protect him forever?
He had no idea what rules it was based in or what fuel it consumed to
function. It could be that once he left this place, once he woke up the next
day, or once he had forgotten about it, he would suddenly find the power
was gone and he was completely defenseless.
Had they truly ensured their safety?
Was it not better to approach the core of the organizers while he had this
overwhelming power and could get away with a bit of risk?

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With Anzais help, Higashikawa opened the door in the ground. As

expected, it contained concrete stairs leading underground. It was too dark
inside to see what was there.
Are the organizers in there? asked Harumi.
Who even are the organizers? It certainly sounded like there were more
than just the bunny girl, said Kozue.
Higashikawa was just as curious.
For one thing, he still did not know why they had carried out these largescale attractions. It seemed the bunny girl had achieved some sort of goal,
but he did not know what that meant.
And
If he could gain control of whatever that was, would he be able to use it as
a powerful card in negotiations with the organizers?
What should we do? asked Anzai Kyousuke. Will we continue on or
escape outside?

Higashikawa thought.
Having all ten of them leave together would likely be the greatest result.
But any slight mistake would get them all killed.
On the other hand, the cornerstone of the organizers plan might be right
before his eyes. The thought of stealing it or destroying it was too much to
pass up. Higashikawa and the others had been on the receiving end the
entire time, and they finally had a real chance to fight back.
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What would he do?

What would he choose?
After thinking for a while, he finally spoke.
Ill go. If there are any traps, its better if only one person is caught in
them.
Higashikawa and the other nine had defeated the organizers. They had all
survived the attractions.
But the one who had won under a special set of rules and had gained the
most from his victory was clearly Higashikawa. The one to set foot in the
most dangerous place had to be the one who had obtained the EverVictorious Challenger.
Anzai asked, Are you sure?
If we overlook this here, it could come back to bite us in the ass. I will
find something we can use to ensure we will not be attacked again after
escaping. That is the best possible ending.
Having said that, Higashikawa looked down at the staircase.
Hiyama spoke from behind him.
If anything happens, just shout for help.
I will.
He took the first step.
After feeling the hard concrete underfoot, he continued down into the
darkness belowground.
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He was greatly reminded of the abyss of hell.

Before long, the pale starlight could no longer reach him. It was pitch black
by the time he reached the bottom of the staircase. He felt his way along
and found a metal door in front of him.
He turned the knob.
It did not seem to be locked.

And then
Higashikawa Mamoru
opened the door.

Part 6
The room was dimly lit.
But compared to that the complete darkness from before, this was quite a
bit more light.
The small square room was about the size of a school classroom. About 50
folding chairs were lined up evenly within. A film projector was located
against the right wall and a pure white screen hung down on the left wall.
The rooms light came from the film being shown.
The screen showed Higashikawa, Hiyama, and the others.
A compilation of footage from their struggles in the Hell Hospital was
being carelessly shown.
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About 30 of the 50 folding chairs were filled. The people sitting in them
were mostly middle-aged or elderly and did not look like they had
struggled a day in their lives. They did not even turn in Higashikawas
direction when he suddenly entered the room. He could see the sides of
their faces dimly illuminated by the light of the projector. They were all
smiling. That unity lacked any humanity. Higashikawa could feel a sense
of revulsion run from his fingertips and across his body like when seeing a
swarm of insects.
Higashikawa felt an uncontrollable heat in his head when he spotted the
bunny girl among them.
You bitch!! he shouted and ran over to grab her shoulder.
But then
Amid all of the unmoving people, the bunny girl alone turned just her head
in Higashikawas direction.
Yes, just her head.
There was nothing but her shapely face and spine.
Her smile bloomed on her face like she was some horrifying flower in a
vase.
Eh?
Higashikawas vision grew psychedelically distorted.
His brain refused to comprehend what he was seeing.
From her neck up, her bright skin and wonderful complexion remained
unchanged, but below her neck was nothing but a white backbone. And
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some sticky, flesh-colored liquid had spread out across the folding chair
and the floor around it. That was all. What looked to be her clothes had
fallen away with the liquid.
That was truly all.
She could not be alive any longer.
Even if she could change her expression and carry a conversation,
something about her was definitively different from a living human. She
had become something on the level of a character from a story where a
head blinked after being removed by a guillotine.
What?
His question was simply about what had happened to the bunny girl.
But
Could it be?
He turned toward the middle-age and elderly people who were not moving
no matter what.
Were they the same?
Our
The bunny girls coquettishly glittering lips moved.
Given the state she was in, it seemed horribly wrong for the bunny girl to
still be alive and still smiling as always.
Our objective was to capture the absurd. We were to call in Objective
Alice who symbolizes the absurd and capture her.
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What?
The gambling storyline as well as the Unbeatable Emperor and EverVictorious Challenger characters gained from it were nothing more than
side effects. We had no interest in the gambling story itself. Our objective
was to capture the special girl who can be called the guide for all storylines,
be they horror, gambling, love comedy, suspense, action, battle, sports,
science fiction, or fantasy. Of all the countless storylines derived from the
guide, the gambling one was the easiest to use. We tried to work our way
back from there to approach Alice, the guide. That is what this story
really is.
At first, it seemed she was explaining it to him, but she was not checking
to see if he understood. It was as if she was a digital recorder spouting back
predetermined information.
You may not believe it, but we are an ideological association that stands
on the side of justice. To be blunt, this is a great problem that cannot be
resolved by any honest means, so we have been constantly working
towards resolving it all at once using dishonest means.
The absurd.
Objective Alice.
Higashikawa had no idea what those terms referred to, so he had no way of
understanding what the rest of the explanation meant. However, the bunny
girl omitted any explanations regarding them to an unnatural extent.
It was as if someone had edited out the information he must not hear.

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The absurd is an existence that disturbs the proper parameters of things. If

used well, we thought it could lead us to the answers to all sorts of
problems without having to find a real solution. We thought it could be
used like a book of prophesy.
The bunny girl gave an oddly vivid smile.
Higashikawa could not tell what emotion was contained within it.
He was not even sure if anything remained of the bunny girls will.
But when we attempted it, this is what happened. It seems we angered
Alice in the process of our emulation. She used her full ability to protect
you or someone in your group.
The cause of this insane phenomenon.
An existence that had so easily wiped out the organizers of those
attractions.
An overwhelming character that held far greater power than Higashikawas
unnatural ability to call in success.
The strange guide who smiled as she tied together the stories of an
omnibus horror movie and stood above the evil spirits and monsters that
did as they pleased in the stories.
But this is a new discovery. The bunny girls expression was one of true
joy. After all, we now know Objective Alice can feel honest anger based
in an honest moral framework. That means provoking her that way could
eliminate the need for an emulation based in detailed formulas and-
The bunny girls words suddenly came to an end.
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Her beautiful eyes rotated to an odd angle.

Higashikawa heard a splashing noise.
That single flower that had just barely remained intact had finally turned to
a flesh-colored liquid and splattered to the floor.
At the same moment, all of the middle-aged and elderly people left in the
other chairs melted to the floor as well. It sounded like bucket after bucket
of water was being poured to the ground.
It was like a switch had been thrown.
It looked as if a lawnmower had made its way through that creepy flower
garden.
They had been absurdly left alive until then just to tell Higashikawa those
words.

Higashikawa felt confused that he was still breathing.

That was how removed from reality it all felt.
He audibly gulped and finally truly felt that he was still alive. He finally
came to a conclusion.
(The organizers are gone. We should be safe for now.)
But as soon as he thought that, he heard a small noise.
He had not noticed it before and it seemed strange that he had not, but the
room had another door. The lock clicked open and the door cracked open
on its own.
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He could not see anything through the gap.

It was possible something was peering out at him.
But the organizers were gone.
Higashikawa had concluded that.
In that case
Who was beyond that door?
Who was left?
Youre kidding.
If what the bunny girl or whoever had been making her speak was right,
Objective Alice had given this cruel punishment to the organizers in order
to save Higashikawa and the others.
And now something else was inviting him into that extraordinarily deep
darkness.
Were they trying to save him? Or did they have some other objective?
None of it fit together and everyones intentions seemed scattered
everywhere.
It brought a certain word to Higashikawas mind:
Absurd.

If he turned back toward the staircase to the surface, he could likely

ignorantly meet up with the other nine and safely return home.
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But if he headed further into the darkness, he could arrive at the truth in
exchange for a fair amount of risk. But this risk would surely be more than
he could handle with a puny absurdity like the Ever-Victorious Challenger.
Sweat poured from Higashikawas brow and he felt it drip down along his
nose.
Which path should he choose?
And finally
He chose.

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Report on Methods of Using the Absurd

Report on Methods of Using the Absurd

The existence known as Objective Alice can freely distort any of the
parameters based in normal physical laws. In a way, she is a symbol of
calamity, and in a different way, she is a symbol of fortune and success.
Think of her as something like the philosophers stone whispered of in the
Middle Ages.
Not only can she transform lead into pure gold, but she can change high
density nuclear waste into safe platinum.
She is an existence that infinitely takes in any and all laws and then twists
and distorts them.
She is also referred to as the guide, but her true essence may be closer to
something like a black hole to the core structures of this world.
When researching means of applying Objective Alice, great care must be
taken to construct safety measures to prevent oneself from being sucked
into the countless absurd stories that develop around her.
To be blunt, there is no definite method of doing this.
Objective Alice is defined as an existence that distorts any definite rules, so
even if you construct a definite method, that very truth may alter Objective
Alices existence and provide an update that eliminates that weakness.
We will prepare a number of the absurd stories Objective Alice is meant to
scatter. That will guide her to a designated location. That is likely the most
important point in this emulation project.

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Report on Methods of Using the Absurd

If we are accepted into Objective Alice, we will become the rulers of the
entire world. However, if she rejects us and the absurd bares its fangs, we
will likely disappear from history. We will be like a side character
eliminated in the changes made to history with a time machine.
The result of the formulas we used shows that our methods must be quite
cruel, so we simply must hope that Objective Alice is not a reasonable
enough existence to feel honest anger upon seeing this sort of violence.
Now then
Will we receive fortune or misfortune? The time to test ourselves has
arrived.

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The Unrecorded Result

The Unrecorded Result

There was a white girl.
She had long white hair, she had skin so white it looked transparent, and
she wore a white dress made of an unknown material.
This girl who was dyed completely in white was collapsed face down on
the ground.
Another girl stood next to her.
This other girl was just as white. She looked down at the collapsed girl
with an unimpressed look. She lifted up one slender leg.
She then casually crushed the head of the girl with an identical face
underfoot.
Immediately afterwards, a change came over the girl on the ground. It
started from the center of her crushed head. Her white hair, her almost
transparent skin, her dress made of an unknown material, and everything
else all transformed into countless pages of reports.
The wind picked them up and the hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds
of thousands of papers scattered into the darkness. Progress Report #201.
From the Items Left Behind by a Dead Freelance Writer. Records of Player
2's Actions. What Each Person Held. Report on Methods of Using the
Absurd. The other girl grabbed one paper between two fingers.
She glanced at the report and gave a light sigh.
She let go and that paper seemed to dissolve into the darkness as it was
blown away by the wind as well.
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The Unrecorded Result

The remaining girl was not concerned with where all those papers had
gone.
She quietly spoke in a disinterested tone.
Phenomena that can be explained in words cannot be described as absurd.
With all of the report pages having blown away and disappeared, the girl
began walking. She was surrounded by darkness in every direction. She
walked through that scenery that looked as if it could lead anywhere and
like it led nowhere.
Isnt that right, Emulator?
This girl who had eliminated the existence known as Objective Alice
disappeared into the darkness.
For just an instant, the hem of her dress came apart absurdly and what
looked like countless reels of film spread out.

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Afterword

Afterword
Tah dah! The unexpected second volume.
This is Kamachi Kazuma.
The theme this time was life-or-death gambles. I think the color has
changed quite a bit compared to A Simple Survey, but she is still
involved at the core of the storyor so it seemed. The very, very end gives
a different ending, so be careful. If you carelessly overlook it, you might
incorrectly think the girl from the previous novel was behind all this.
In the A Simple series, most of the explanation and information given by
the characters is wrong, but the true setting begins to show itself if you
compare what the different characters say. Its a bit of a special story
structure. When it comes to portraying her at the core of the story, I have
tried to emphasize a feeling of things being left unexplained since anyone
giving a plain and direct explanation would end up dead.
For example, take the voice mail message that suddenly appeared in the
middle of the story. Be careful about directly making the simple
assumption that it was left on the cell phone of second halfs protagonist,
Higashikawa. Well, if you read the previous novel, you should be able to
make a good guess at who made it and who it was meant for. However,
there is actually one more trap set up on top of that. You should be able to
figure it out if you read this novel to the very, very end and then compare
the speech patterns.[1]
Also, in the second half of this novel, I intentionally altered the speed of
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Afterword

the story in a few places. For example, when Higashikawa was persuading
Rachel through the door or the final exchange with the bunny girl. I was
trying to give an impression of the formless absurd slowly and silently
approaching. How do you think I did?
Im a bit worried that the reader participation gimmick was too complex
and involved compared to the one in A Simple Survey.
I prepared that sort of gimmick because I really wanted to get across the
absurd turn of events of having your own choices block your path as your
greatest enemy.
By the way, did you clear that final rush of questions without getting
killed?

I give my thanks to my illustrator Kasai Shin-san, my editor Miki-san, and

all of the readers.
This series has now handled love comedy and gambling. I thank you for
sticking with me this far. I cant imagine when another novel in this series
would come out, but I do hope I can eventually write one.
Not explaining things really is a special sort of story structure.
-Kamachi Kazuma

Notes
1. The girl leaving the message used konata as a first person
pronoun. See Harumis Case from A Simple Survey for why that is
important.
402

A Simple Monitoring

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Story
Illustrator
Translator
PDF

: Kamachi Kazuma
: Haimura Kiyotaka
: Js06
: Arczyx
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